SPURS *spank* Utah !

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Just as predicted by all Spurs fans on the net over the last few days...
But especially by yours truly:

David Robinson scored 25 points and the San Antonio Spurs, 0-5 against
Utah in the regular season, routed the Jazz 106-89 Thursday night in the
first game of their Western Conference playoff series.
Karl Malone's 36 points weren't enough to keep the Jazz in contention,
and he was the only Utah player to score in double figures as the Jazz
came close to tying their record-low 80 points in a playoff game.
Reserve Terry Cummings, who averaged 7.3 points during the season,
scored 18
for the Spurs. Willie Anderson had 15.
The two teams will meet Saturday for Game 2 of their best-of-5 series
with an undercurrent of hostility.
With 5:29 remaining in the game and the Spurs comfortably ahead, San
Antonio
coach John Lucas angrily benched Dennis Rodman after Rodman swung his arms at
Lucas following Rodman's brief tangle with Utah's Bryon Russell. A technical
foul was called on Russell. Rodman apologized to Lucas, saying he did not
know who was tugging at him from behind, when the incident occured.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan wasn't around for the end of his team's defeat.
He was ejected with 7:37 remaining after receiving a technical and
objecting to an
offensive foul against John Stockton, who had knocked down Robinson. The
Spurs'
J.R. Reid entered the fray with Stockton, and both players were pulled
part by
teammates.
San Antonio opened the pivotal third quarter with a 13-4 run, pushing its
lead to 68-46 five minutes into the period.
The Spurs outscored the Jazz 27-18 in the third, and Utah shot only
7-for-20
from the field with seven turnovers. In all, the Jazz committed 21
turnovers, to the Spurs' nine.
The Spurs, leading 30-25 at the end of the first period, launched a wild
second quarter with a 16-2 run ignited by Cummings, who scored 10 during the
burst. The Jazz, trailing 46-27 midway through the period, answered with a
15-2
run that included seven points by Malone. San Antonio came right back with
seven consecutive points, finishing the first half with a 55-42 lead.

Here are the stats!

SAN ANTONIO (106)

Ellis 4-7 2-2 10, Rodman 1-5 0-2 2, Robinson 9-17 7-9 25, Del Negro 5-7 1-2
12, Anderson 6-13 3-3 15, Knight 4-12 1-1 9, Cummings 8-11 2-2 18, Reid
1-6 1-2
3, Daniels 1-4 0-0 3, Carr 0-2 2-2 2, Floyd 1-1 0-0 2, Haley 2-4 1-2 5. Totals
42-89 20-27 106.

UTAH (89)

Corbin 0-1 2-2 2, Malone 13-21 10-12 36, Spencer 2-5 0-0 4, Stockton
1-4 1-1
3, Hornacek 3-11 1-1 9, Humphries 3-6 2-2 8, Chambers 0-6 0-0 0, Benoit
4-10 1-2
9, Crotty 1-3 2-2 5, Russell 1-2 2-2 5, Howard 2-2 3-3 7, Bond 0-1 1-2 1.
Totals
30-72 25-29 89.

Utah 25 17 18 29-- 89
San Antonio 30 25 27 24--106

3-Point goals--Utah 4-11 (Hornacek 2-4, Crotty 1-1, Russell 1-1, Bond 0-1,
Humphries 0-1, Chambers 0-2), San Antonio 2-7 (Del Negro 1-1, Daniels 1-1,
Knight 0-1, Ellis 0-2, Rodman 0-2). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--Utah 48
(Malone
10), San Antonio 52 (Rodman 11). Assists--Utah 19 (Stockton 8), San
Antonio 24
(Robinson 7). Total fouls--Utah 21, San Antonio 25. Technicals--Rodman, Utah

Coach Sloan, Russell. Flagrant fouls--Rodman. Ejections--Utah coach Sloan.

I still say:
SPURS IN 4!

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