1996–97 Utah Jazz season

1996–97 Utah Jazz season
1996–97 Utah Jazz season
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coach	Jerry Sloan
General manager	Tim Howells
Owner	Larry H. Miller
Arena	Delta Center
Results
Record	64–18 (.780)
Place	Division: 1st (Midwest); Conference: 1st (Western)
Playoff finish	NBA Finals; (lost to Bulls 2–4)
	Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	KJZZ-TV; Fox Sports Utah;
Radio	KFNZ
< 1995–96	1997–98 >

The 1996–97 Utah Jazz season was the 23rd season for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association, and their 18th season in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[1] During the off-season, the Jazz redesigned their primary logo, replacing the colors purple, green and yellow with a different shade of purple, light blue, copper and teal to their color scheme of white. The team's primary logo featured the team name "Jazz" in light blue and purple with a teal outline, underneath purple and white mountains and above a purple basketball with white seams, surrounded by a copper circle with a black outline, featuring the state name Utah in purple letters with a white outline.^[2]^[3]^[4] The team also redesigned their home and road uniforms, changing their road uniforms to a different shade of purple; the home uniforms featured purple mountains on the front of their jerseys, and the left leg of their shorts, while the road uniforms featured white and light blue mountains.^[5]^[6]

After a 2–2 start to the regular season, the Jazz posted a 15-game winning streak between November and December,^[7] and later on held a 33–14 record at the All-Star break.^[8] The team posted a 31–4 record for the remainder of the season, in which they posted a seven-game winning streak in February, posted another 15-game winning streak between March and April,^[9] and won 19 of their final 20 games. The Jazz finished in first place in the Midwest Division with a franchise-best 64–18 record, and earned the first seed in the Western Conference;^[10] the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the 14th consecutive year.^[1] The Jazz also had the second-best home record in the league with a 38–3 record at the Delta Center.

Karl Malone averaged 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year, finishing in first place ahead of All-Star guard Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls in Most Valuable Player voting;^[11]^[12]^[13] he was also named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Jeff Hornacek averaged 14.5 points, 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while John Stockton provided the team with 14.4 points, 10.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Meanwhile, Bryon Russell showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward, averaging 10.8 points and 1.4 steals per game, and leading the Jazz with 108 three-point field goals, while second-year center Greg Ostertag averaged 7.3 points and rebounds per game each, and led the team with 2.0 blocks per game. Off the bench, Antoine Carr contributed 7.4 points per game, while rookie shooting guard, and second-round draft pick Shandon Anderson contributed 5.9 points per game, and Howard Eisley provided with 4.5 points and 2.4 assists per game.^[14]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Malone and Stockton were both selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[15]^[16]^[17] However, Malone was booed by the fans at the Gund Arena throughout the entire All-Star Game. Prior to the game, Malone stated that he would rather be at his home in Salt Lake City than play in the All-Star Game in Cleveland; he later on stated that he did not mean to disrespect the city of Cleveland, and that his comments were taken out of context.^[18]^[19]^[20] In addition, Stockton also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the second time.^[15]^[21] Stockton finished in 15th place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[22] while head coach Jerry Sloan finished in third place in Coach of the Year voting;^[23]^[22] despite showing a lot of improvement over the previous season, Russell did not receive any votes in Most Improved Player voting.^[22]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1997 NBA playoffs, the Jazz faced off against the 8th–seeded Los Angeles Clippers, a team that featured Loy Vaught, Malik Sealy and Rodney Rogers. The Jazz won the first two games over the Clippers at home at the Delta Center, before winning Game 3 on the road, 104–92 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, to win the series in a three-game sweep.^[24]^[25]^[26]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 4th–seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by the trio of All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal, All-Star guard Eddie Jones, and Nick Van Exel. The Jazz won the first two games at the Delta Center, but then lost Game 3 to the Lakers on the road, 104–84 at the Great Western Forum.^[27] The Jazz managed to win the next two games, which included a Game 5 win over the Lakers at the Delta Center, 98–93 to win the series in five games.^[28]^[29]^[30]

In the Western Conference Finals, the Jazz then faced off against the 3rd–seeded Houston Rockets, who were led by the All-Star trio of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler. The Jazz won the first two games at the Delta Center to take a 2–0 series lead.^[31]^[32]^[33] However, the Rockets managed to win the next two games to even the series, as Rockets forward Eddie Johnson hit a dramatic three-point shot at the buzzer to win Game 4, 95–92 at The Summit.^[34]^[35]^[36] After winning Game 5 at the Delta Center, 96–91,^[37]^[38]^[39] Game 6 at The Summit appeared to be heading into overtime, until Stockton hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, as the Jazz defeated the Rockets, 103–100 to win the series in six games, and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.^[40]^[41]^[42]

In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Jazz faced off against the top–seeded, and defending NBA champion Bulls, who were led by the trio of Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman. The Jazz lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the United Center, but then won their next two home games to even the series at 2–2. In Game 5 at the Delta Center, which was known as "The Flu Game", Jordan scored 38 points in 44 minutes, as the Bulls defeated the Jazz, 90–88 to take a 3–2 series lead.^[43]^[44]^[45] The Jazz lost Game 6 to the Bulls at the United Center, 90–86, thus losing the series in six games, as the Bulls won their second consecutive NBA championship, and their fifth title in seven years.^[46]^[47]^[48]

The Jazz finished fourth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 811,439 fans at the Delta Center during the regular season.^[14]^[49] One notable highlight of the season occurred on November 27, 1996, in which the Jazz trailed 70–36 at halftime to the Denver Nuggets at the Delta Center, but came back from a 34-point deficit, outscoring the Nuggets 71–33 in the second half to win the game, 107–103.^[50]^[51]^[52]

The team's new primary logo, and new uniforms would both remain in use until 2004, while the basic design of the logo would last until 2016.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	25	Martin Müürsepp	PF/SF	Estonia
2	54	Shandon Anderson	SF/SG	United States	Georgia

Roster

1996–97 Utah Jazz roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Player	Height	Weight	DOB	From
G	40	Shandon Anderson	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	1973–12–31	Georgia
F	55	Antoine Carr	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	1961–07–23	Wichita State
G	10	Howard Eisley	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	177 lb (80 kg)	1972–12–04	Boston College
C	44	Greg Foster	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	240 lb (109 kg)	1968–10–03	UTEP
G	14	Jeff Hornacek	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	1963–05–03	Iowa State
F	43	Stephen Howard	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	1970–05–15	DePaul
F	31	Adam Keefe	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	1970–02–22	Stanford
F	32	Karl Malone	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	250 lb (113 kg)	1963–07–24	Louisiana Tech
F	34	Chris Morris	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	1966–01–20	Auburn
C	00	Greg Ostertag	7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)	280 lb (127 kg)	1973–03–06	Kansas
F	3	Bryon Russell	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	1970–12–31	Long Beach State
G	12	John Stockton	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	1962–03–26	Gonzaga

Head coach

Jerry Sloan

Assistant(s)

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Roster
Updated: March 5, 1997

Roster Notes

Small forward Jamie Watson was waived on March 5, 1997.

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Utah Jazz	64	18	.780	–	38–3	26–15	19–5
x-Houston Rockets	57	25	.695	7	30–11	27–14	19–5
x-Minnesota Timberwolves	40	42	.488	24	25–16	15–26	16–8
Dallas Mavericks	24	58	.293	40	14–27	10–31	9–15
Denver Nuggets	21	61	.256	43	12–29	9–32	7–17
San Antonio Spurs	20	62	.244	44	12–29	8–33	8–16
Vancouver Grizzlies	14	68	.171	50	8–33	6–35	6–18

1996–97 NBA West standings
#	Western Conference v t e
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-Utah Jazz	64	18	.780	–
2	y-Seattle SuperSonics	57	25	.695	7
3	x-Houston Rockets	57	25	.695	7
4	x-Los Angeles Lakers	56	26	.683	8
5	x-Portland Trail Blazers	49	33	.598	15
6	x-Minnesota Timberwolves	40	42	.488	24
7	x-Phoenix Suns	40	42	.488	24
8	x-Los Angeles Clippers	36	46	.439	28

9	Sacramento Kings	34	48	.415	30
10	Golden State Warriors	30	52	.366	34
11	Dallas Mavericks	24	58	.293	40
12	Denver Nuggets	21	61	.256	43
13	San Antonio Spurs	20	62	.244	44
14	Vancouver Grizzlies	14	68	.171	50

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

^[53]

Game log

1996–97 game log
Total: 64–18 (home: 38–3; road: 26–15)

November: 11–2 (home: 8–1; road: 3–1)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
1	November 1	Seattle	W 99–91	Karl Malone (27)	Karl Malone (13)	Hornacek, Stockton (8)	Delta Center 19,911	1–0
2	November 2	@ L.A. Clippers	W 95–90	Karl Malone (21)	Karl Malone (12)	John Stockton (7)	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 13,041	2–0
3	November 4	Houston	L 72–75	Karl Malone (16)	Karl Malone (14)	Jeff Hornacek (5)	Delta Center 19,911	2–1
4	November 9	@ Houston	L 85–91	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (6)	The Summit 16,285	2–2
5	November 13	Sacramento	W 105–74	Karl Malone (22)	Greg Ostertag (13)	John Stockton (10)	Delta Center 19,283	3–2
6	November 15	Vancouver	W 104–96	Karl Malone (21)	Greg Ostertag (20)	John Stockton (18)	Delta Center 19,046	4–2
7	November 16	@ Dallas	W 88–87	John Stockton (23)	Byron Russell (13)	John Stockton (8)	Reunion Arena 15,947	5–2
8	November 20	@ L.A. Lakers	W 113–97	Karl Malone (37)	Greg Ostertag (9)	John Stockton (13)	Great Western Forum 16,122	6–2
9	November 21	Golden State	W 109–104 (OT)	Karl Malone (33)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (15)	Delta Center 18,889	7–2
10	November 23	Chicago	W 105–100	Karl Malone (36)	Karl Malone (15)	John Stockton (13)	Delta Center 19,911	8–2
11	November 25	New Jersey	W 108–92	Karl Malone (27)	Karl Malone (16)	John Stockton (13)	Delta Center 19,132	9–2
12	November 27	Denver	W 107–103	Karl Malone (31)	Karl Malone (17)	John Stockton (10)	Delta Center 19,324	10–2
13	November 29	L.A. Clippers	W 111–94	John Stockton (28)	Greg Ostertag (14)	John Stockton (10)	Delta Center 19,381	11–2

December: 11–5 (home: 7–1; road: 4–4)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
14	December 1	@ Seattle	W 96–90	Karl Malone (30)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (12)	KeyArena 17,072	12–2
15	December 2	Charlotte	W 107–97	John Stockton (22)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (16)	Delta Center 19,410	13–2
16	December 4	L.A. Lakers	W 101–75	Karl Malone (26)	Karl Malone (8)	John Stockton (7)	Delta Center 19,911	14–2
17	December 6	Minnesota	W 106–95	Karl Malone (34)	Greg Ostertag (8)	John Stockton (16)	Delta Center 19,911	15–2
18	December 7	@ Denver	W 104–91	Karl Malone (21)	Karl Malone (9)	John Stockton (12)	McNichols Sports Arena 12,837	16–2
19	December 10	Indiana	W 110–86	Karl Malone (22)	Greg Ostertag (15)	John Stockton (9)	Delta Center 19,911	17–2
20	December 12	Phoenix	L 87–95	Karl Malone (27)	Karl Malone (12)	John Stockton (11)	Delta Center 19,911	17–3
21	December 14	Orlando	W 101–68	Ostertag, Stockton (16)	Greg Ostertag (16)	John Stockton (8)	Delta Center 19,911	18–3
22	December 17	@ New York	L 94–99	Karl Malone (29)	Karl Malone (14)	John Stockton (5)	Madison Square Garden 19,763	18–4
23	December 19	@ Miami	W 94–87 (OT)	Karl Malone (35)	Karl Malone (16)	John Stockton (10)	Miami Arena 14,919	19–4
24	December 20	@ Orlando	W 98–93	John Stockton (22)	Karl Malone (6)	John Stockton (15)	Orlando Arena 17,248	20–4
25	December 22	@ Cleveland	L 94–100	Karl Malone (20)	Karl Malone (12)	John Stockton (9)	Gund Arena 17,205	20–5
26	December 23	@ Minnesota	L 98–107	Karl Malone (22)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (13)	Target Center 14,434	20–6
27	December 26	Portland	W 99–94	Karl Malone (24)	Karl Malone (9)	John Stockton (11)	Delta Center 19,911	21–6
28	December 28	Philadelphia	W 110–84	Karl Malone (29)	Karl Malone (14)	John Stockton (14)	Delta Center 19,911	22–6
29	December 30	@ L.A. Clippers	L 101–115	John Stockton (23)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (7)	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 7,865	22–7

January: 9–6 (home: 5–0; road: 4–6)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
30	January 2	@ San Antonio	L 80–83	Karl Malone (26)	Karl Malone (7)	John Stockton (11)	Alamodome 15,220	22–8
31	January 4	Miami	W 83–80	Karl Malone (28)	Karl Malone (12)	John Stockton (11)	Delta Center 19,911	23–8
32	January 6	@ Chicago	L 89–102	Karl Malone (27)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (11)	United Center 23,882	23–9
33	January 8	@ Milwaukee	L 112–119 (OT)	Karl Malone (38)	Karl Malone (19)	Karl Malone (8)	Bradley Center 13,682	23–10
34	January 9	@ Toronto	L 96–110	Karl Malone (24)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (14)	SkyDome 16,517	23–11
35	January 11	@ Detroit	L 77–87	Karl Malone (19)	Greg Ostertag (10)	John Stockton (10)	The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,454	23–12
36	January 13	@ Philadelphia	W 97–96 (OT)	Karl Malone (28)	Karl Malone (9)	John Stockton (7)	CoreStates Center 13,438	24–12
37	January 16	Phoenix	W 95–91	Karl Malone (28)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (9)	Delta Center 19,911	25–12
38	January 17	@ Vancouver	W 106–68	Karl Malone (30)	Howard, Keefe (9)	Jeff Hornacek (8)	General Motors Place 15,173	26–12
39	January 19	@ Portland	L 96–102	Jeff Hornacek (22)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (10)	Rose Garden 21,166	26–13
40	January 20	Cleveland	W 94–74	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (8)	Hornacek, Stockton (6)	Delta Center 19,911	27–13
41	January 22	@ Phoenix	W 111–99	Karl Malone (41)	Karl Malone (8)	John Stockton (12)	America West Arena 19,023	28–13
42	January 25	@ Houston	W 105–100 (OT)	Karl Malone (27)	Karl Malone (17)	John Stockton (11)	The Summit 16,285	29–13
43	January 28	Denver	W 114–99	Karl Malone (28)	Malone, Ostertag (13)	John Stockton (9)	Delta Center 19,911	30–13
44	January 30	Atlanta	W 102–96	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (15)	John Stockton (11)	Delta Center 19,911	31–13

February: 9–3 (home: 7–1; road: 2–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
45	February 1	@ Dallas	L 97–100	Karl Malone (36)	Malone, Russell (11)	John Stockton (13)	Reunion Arena 17,185	31–14
46	February 3	Washington	W 111–89	Karl Malone (24)	Karl Malone (10)	Howard Eisley (9)	Delta Center 19,911	32–14
47	February 5	@ Seattle	W 99–95	Karl Malone (26)	Greg Ostertag (10)	John Stockton (13)	KeyArena 17,072	33–14
All-Star Break
48	February 11	@ Sacramento	W 120–98	Karl Malone (30)	Karl Malone (8)	John Stockton (16)	ARCO Arena 17,317	34–14
49	February 13	Portland	W 110–86	Karl Malone (24)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (13)	Delta Center 19,911	35–14
50	February 15	Dallas	W 99–84	Jeff Hornacek (18)	Greg Ostertag (12)	John Stockton (8)	Delta Center 19,911	36–14
51	February 18	San Antonio	W 113–105	Karl Malone (37)	Greg Ostertag (10)	John Stockton (10)	Delta Center 19,911	37–14
52	February 20	Boston	W 122–105	Karl Malone (34)	Karl Malone (16)	John Stockton (11)	Delta Center 19,911	38–14
53	February 23	Seattle	L 87–89 (OT)	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	38–15
54	February 25	New York	W 110–99	Karl Malone (33)	Greg Ostertag (13)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	39–15
55	February 27	Toronto	W 118–114	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (13)	Delta Center 19,911	40–15
56	February 28	@ Portland	L 105–115	Karl Malone (30)	Karl Malone (6)	John Stockton (11)	Rose Garden 21,253	40–16

March: 14–1 (home: 4–0; road: 10–1)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
57	March 2	@ Vancouver	W 93–86	Bryon Russell (20)	Malone, Ostertag (9)	John Stockton (16)	General Motors Place 16,415	41–16
58	March 3	@ Golden State	W 111–104	Karl Malone (41)	Karl Malone (7)	Stockton, Hornacek (8)	San Jose Arena 16,334	42–16
59	March 5	Dallas	W 96–65	Karl Malone (20)	Greg Ostertag (13)	Karl Malone (7)	Delta Center 19,911	43–16
60	March 7	Detroit	W 95–88	Karl Malone (41)	Greg Ostertag (10)	Stockton, Hornacek (9)	Delta Center 19,911	44–16
61	March 9	@ Minnesota	W 115–106	Karl Malone (36)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (9)	Target Center 19,006	45–16
62	March 11	@ Atlanta	L 99–106	Karl Malone (24)	Karl Malone (7)	John Stockton (10)	The Omni 14,475	45–17
63	March 12	@ New Jersey	W 117–102	John Stockton (31)	Greg Ostertag (19)	John Stockton (11)	Continental Airlines Arena 13,150	46–17
64	March 14	@ Indiana	W 105–96	Karl Malone (38)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (10)	Market Square Arena 16,618	47–17
65	March 15	@ Washington	W 100–93	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (12)	US Airways Arena 18,756	48–17
66	March 17	@ Charlotte	W 114–93	Karl Malone (37)	Karl Malone (9)	Jeff Hornacek (12)	Charlotte Coliseum 24,042	49–17
67	March 19	@ Boston	W 113–100	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (12)	John Stockton (10)	Fleet Center 16,770	50–17
68	March 22	L.A. Clippers	W 107–94	Karl Malone (20)	Greg Ostertag (14)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	51–17
69	March 23	@ Denver	W 120–103	Karl Malone (35)	Karl Malone (8)	John Stockton (15)	McNichols Sports Arena 10,723	52–17
70	March 28	Milwaukee	W 101–96	Karl Malone (31)	Greg Ostertag (18)	John Stockton (10)	Delta Center 19,911	53–17
71	March 29	@ San Antonio	W 115–102	Karl Malone (33)	Karl Malone (12)	John Stockton (10)	Alamodome 25,705	54–17

April: 10–1 (home: 7–0; road: 3–1)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
72	April 2	Sacramento	W 118–87	Karl Malone (23)	Greg Ostertag (11)	Howard Eisley (9)	Delta Center 19,911	55–17
73	April 4	Vancouver	W 106–79	Karl Malone (16)	Greg Ostertag (10)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	56–17
74	April 6	@ Golden State	W 114–100	Karl Malone (30)	Karl Malone (8)	John Stockton (13)	San Jose Arena 15,167	57–17
75	April 7	San Antonio	W 116–93	Karl Malone (26)	Greg Ostertag (9)	John Stockton (8)	Delta Center 19,911	58–17
76	April 9	L.A. Lakers	W 101–89	Karl Malone (29)	Byron Russell (9)	John Stockton (10)	Delta Center 19,911	59–17
77	April 11	Houston	W 104–83	Karl Malone (28)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (8)	Delta Center 19,911	60–17
78	April 13	@ L.A. Lakers	L 98–100	John Stockton (30)	Greg Ostertag (13)	John Stockton (9)	Great Western Forum 17,505	60–18
79	April 15	@ Phoenix	W 127–122	Karl Malone (31)	Karl Malone (11)	John Stockton (14)	America West Arena 19,023	61–18
80	April 17	Golden State	W 106–93	Karl Malone (20)	three players tied (4)	three players tied (6)	Delta Center 19,911	62–18
81	April 19	Minnesota	W 101–89	Karl Malone (26)	Ostertag, Russell (8)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	63–18
82	April 20	@ Sacramento	W 113–109	Karl Malone (18)	Karl Malone (6)	John Stockton (14)	ARCO Arena 17,317	64–18

1996–97 schedule

Playoffs

1997 playoff game log

Western Conference First Round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 24	L.A. Clippers	W 106–86	Karl Malone (27)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (17)	Delta Center 19,911	1–0
2	April 26	L.A. Clippers	W 105–99	Karl Malone (39)	Karl Malone (11)	Hornacek, Stockton (4)	Delta Center 19,911	2–0
3	April 28	@ L.A. Clippers	W 104–92	Karl Malone (26)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (13)	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 11,747	3–0

Western Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	May 4	L.A. Lakers	W 93–77	Karl Malone (23)	Karl Malone (13)	Jeff Hornacek (7)	Delta Center 19,911	1–0
2	May 6	L.A. Lakers	W 103–101	Karl Malone (31)	Karl Malone (11)	Hornacek, Stockton (7)	Delta Center 19,911	2–0
3	May 8	@ L.A. Lakers	L 84–104	Jeff Hornacek (26)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (8)	Great Western Forum 17,505	2–1
4	May 10	@ L.A. Lakers	W 110–95	Bryon Russell (29)	Bryon Russell (10)	John Stockton (11)	Great Western Forum 17,505	3–1
5	May 12	L.A. Lakers	W 98–93 (OT)	Karl Malone (32)	Karl Malone (20)	John Stockton (10)	Delta Center 19,911	4–1

Western Conference Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	May 19	Houston	W 101–86	Karl Malone (21)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (13)	Delta Center 19,911	1–0
2	May 21	Houston	W 104–92	John Stockton (26)	Karl Malone (15)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	2–0
3	May 23	@ Houston	L 100–118	Karl Malone (21)	Greg Ostertag (9)	John Stockton (10)	The Summit 16,285	2–1
4	May 25	@ Houston	L 92–95	Malone, Stockton (22)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (8)	The Summit 16,285	2–2
5	May 27	Houston	W 96–91	Karl Malone (29)	Karl Malone (14)	John Stockton (6)	Delta Center 19,911	3–2
6	May 29	@ Houston	W 103–100	John Stockton (25)	Greg Ostertag (14)	John Stockton (13)	The Summit 16,285	4–2

NBA Finals: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	June 1	@ Chicago	L 82–84	Karl Malone (23)	Karl Malone (15)	John Stockton (12)	United Center 24,544	0–1
2	June 4	@ Chicago	L 85–97	Karl Malone (20)	Karl Malone (13)	John Stockton (7)	United Center 24,544	0–2
3	June 6	Chicago	W 104–93	Karl Malone (37)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	1–2
4	June 8	Chicago	W 78–73	Karl Malone (23)	Karl Malone (10)	John Stockton (12)	Delta Center 19,911	2–2
5	June 11	Chicago	L 88–90	Karl Malone (19)	Greg Ostertag (15)	Karl Malone (6)	Delta Center 19,911	2–3
6	June 13	@ Chicago	L 86–90	Karl Malone (21)	Greg Ostertag (8)	John Stockton (5)	United Center 24,544	2–4

1997 schedule

NBA Finals

In the Finals, the Jazz faced the Chicago Bulls losing the first two games on the road. However, the Jazz upon arriving at the Delta Center continued their home court advantage by taking Game 3, and Game 4 to even the series. With a chance to take a series lead in Game 5, the Jazz were beaten by a heroic performance by Michael Jordan playing with the flu like ailment 90–88.^[54]^[55]^[56]^[57]^[58] Back in Chicago for Game 6, the Jazz battled the Bulls tightly before falling by four points as the Bulls won their fifth title in seven years.^[59]

Player statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Shandon Anderson	65	0	16.4	.462	.511	.687	2.8	.8	.4	.1	5.9
Antoine Carr	82	0	17.8	.483	.000	.780	2.4	.9	.3	.8	7.4
Howard Eisley	82	0	13.2	.451	.278	.787	1.0	2.4	.5	.1	4.5
Greg Foster	79	12	11.6	.453	.667	.831	2.4	.4	.1	.3	3.5
Jeff Hornacek	82	82	31.6	.482	.369	.899	2.9	4.4	1.5	.3	14.5
Stephen Howard^†	42	0	8.3	.573		.597	1.8	.2	.3	.2	3.6
Adam Keefe	62	0	14.8	.513	.000	.689	3.5	.5	.5	.2	3.8
Karl Malone	82	82	36.6	.550	.000	.755	9.9	4.5	1.4	.6	27.4
Chris Morris	73	1	13.4	.408	.274	.722	2.2	.6	.4	.3	4.3
Ruben Nembhard^†	8	0	11.8	.414	.000	.800	1.0	1.5	.8	.0	4.0
Greg Ostertag	77	70	23.6	.515	.000	.678	7.3	.4	.3	2.0	7.3
Bryon Russell	81	81	31.2	.479	.409	.701	4.1	1.5	1.6	.3	10.8
John Stockton	82	82	35.3	.548	.422	.846	2.8	10.5	2.0	.2	14.4
Brooks Thompson^†	2	0	4.0	.000			.0	.5	.0	.0	.0
Jamie Watson^†	13	0	9.9	.440	.333	.833	1.4	.8	.8	.2	2.5

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Shandon Anderson	18	0	16.4	.439	.417	.714	2.7	.7	.6	.1	4.6
Antoine Carr	20	0	14.0	.482		.750	2.0	.5	.3	.5	4.9
Howard Eisley	20	0	10.9	.500	.474	.964	.9	2.0	.2	.0	5.6
Greg Foster	20	0	15.5	.389	.250	.867	2.8	.6	.2	.4	4.2
Jeff Hornacek	20	20	35.2	.433	.358	.876	4.5	3.7	1.1	.2	14.6
Stephen Howard	5	0	2.6	.500		.750	.2	.0	.2	.0	1.8
Adam Keefe	8	0	7.4	.333		.667	2.0	.3	.3	.1	1.0
Karl Malone	20	20	40.8	.435	.500	.720	11.4	2.9	1.4	.8	26.0
Chris Morris	20	0	8.8	.400	.320	.600	1.6	.3	.4	.2	2.9
Greg Ostertag	20	20	23.0	.410		.743	6.9	.3	.5	2.4	4.7
Bryon Russell	20	20	37.9	.461	.356	.721	4.6	1.4	1.1	.3	12.3
John Stockton	20	20	37.0	.521	.380	.856	3.9	9.6	1.7	.3	16.1

Player statistics citation:^[14]

Awards and records

Awards

Records

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Additions

Player	Signed	Former team

Subtractions

Player	Left	New team

References

1 2 "Utah Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
↑ Falk, Aaron (August 28, 2019). "The Note: The history of the Utah Jazz's Purple Mountains". UtahJazz.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
↑ "History of the Jazz Name and Logo". UtahJazz.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
↑ "Utah Jazz Primary Logo". Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
↑ "Utah Jazz Home Uniform". Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
↑ "Utah Jazz Road Uniform". Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
↑ "Jazz 110, Pacers 86". United Press International. December 11, 1996. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
↑ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
↑ "Shaq Beats Buzzer for 100-98 Win Over Jazz". Deseret News. Associated Press. April 14, 1997. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
↑ "1996–97 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
↑ "Malone Beats Out Jordan for M.V.P". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 19, 1997. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
↑ Kawakami, Tim (May 19, 1997). "MVP: Malone, the Standout Jazz Forward Known as Mailman, Edges Jordan in the Voting to Earn Stamp of Greatness". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
↑ "NBA MVP & ABA Most Valuable Player Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
1 2 3 "1996–97 Utah Jazz Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
1 2 Fry, Darrell (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
↑ "1997 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
↑ "1997 NBA All-Star Game: East 132, West 120". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
↑ Jorgensen, Loren (February 8, 1997). "No Offense, But Malone Would Rather Be Home". Deseret News. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
↑ Roberts, Selena (February 10, 1997). "This Year, No Argument About the M.V.P. Choice". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
↑ Jorgensen, Loren (February 10, 1997). "Gund Fans Misread Jazz Player's Tune". Deseret News. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
↑ "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
1 2 3 "1996–97 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
↑ "Riley Coach of Year; Sloan 3rd". Deseret News. May 9, 1997. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
↑ "Jazz Gets a Sweep of Its Own". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 29, 1997. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
↑ Plaschke, Bill (April 29, 1997). "It's Over, But at Least There Is Hope Now". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
↑ "1997 NBA Western Conference First Round: Clippers vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
↑ "1997 NBA Western Conference Semifinals Game 3: Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, May 8, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
↑ Friend, Tom (May 13, 1997). "Malone and Stockton Star in Same Old Story". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 13, 1997). "Lakers Get Aired Out". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
↑ "1997 NBA Western Conference Semifinals: Lakers vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
↑ Sheridan, Chris (May 21, 1997). "Jazz 104, Rockets 92". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
↑ Friend, Tom (May 22, 1997). "Jazz No-Names Introduce Themselves to Rockets". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 22, 1997). "Rockets Bruised, Battered by Jazz". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
↑ Roberts, Selena (May 26, 1997). "A Bolt of 0.2-Second Lightning in Houston". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 26, 1997). "Rockets Are No Longer a Longshot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
↑ "1997 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 4: Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets Box Score, May 25, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
↑ Friend, Tom (May 28, 1997). "Resurgent Malone Puts Jazz Ahead". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 28, 1997). "It's All in the Delivery". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
↑ "1997 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 5: Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz Box Score, May 27, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
↑ Friend, Tom (May 30, 1997). "Stockton Sends Jazz to Finals at Last Second". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 30, 1997). "Jazz Toots Its Own Horn, Now Gets to Face the Music". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
↑ "1997 NBA Western Conference Finals: Rockets vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
↑ Wise, Mike (June 12, 1997). "Weary Jordan Wills His Team Just One Away". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 12, 1997). "Jordan Makes Jazz Air Sick". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
↑ "1997 NBA Finals Game 5: Chicago Bulls at Utah Jazz Box Score, June 11, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
↑ Wise, Mike (June 14, 1997). "A Fistful of Rings: Bulls Grab Fifth Title of 90's". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 14, 1997). "Bulls Get Fifth Element". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
↑ "1997 NBA Finals: Jazz vs. Bulls". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
↑ "1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
↑ Evans, Richard (November 28, 1996). "Dead? Buried? No Way, Say Jazz". Deseret News. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
↑ "Jazz Zips Back in Record Style". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 29, 1996. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
↑ "Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz Box Score, November 27, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
↑ 1996–97 NBA season Summary - Basketball-Reference.com
↑ Wise, Mike (June 12, 1997). "Weary Jordan Wills His Team Just One Away". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 12, 1997). "Jordan Makes Jazz Air Sick". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
↑ Adande, J.A. (June 12, 1997). "Ill Star Lifts Bulls in Game 5". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
↑ Armour, Terry (June 12, 1997). "Queasy Does It". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
↑ Rock, Brad (June 12, 1997). "Jordan Mere Mortal? Don't You Believe It!". Deseret News. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
↑ "Utah Jazz (1979-Present)". Sports Ecyclopedia. Sportsecyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.

[franchise-1] 1 2 "Utah Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 10, 2026.

[2] Falk, Aaron (August 28, 2019). "The Note: The history of the Utah Jazz's Purple Mountains". UtahJazz.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved August 28, 2019.

[3] "History of the Jazz Name and Logo". UtahJazz.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved August 28, 2019.

[4] "Utah Jazz Primary Logo". Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.

[5] "Utah Jazz Home Uniform". Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.

[6] "Utah Jazz Road Uniform". Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.

[7] "Jazz 110, Pacers 86". United Press International. December 11, 1996. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

[8] "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 19, 2022.

[9] "Shaq Beats Buzzer for 100-98 Win Over Jazz". Deseret News. Associated Press. April 14, 1997. Retrieved October 22, 2022.

[schedule-10] "1996–97 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.

[11] "Malone Beats Out Jordan for M.V.P". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 19, 1997. Retrieved July 21, 2017.

[12] Kawakami, Tim (May 19, 1997). "MVP: Malone, the Standout Jazz Forward Known as Mailman, Edges Jordan in the Voting to Earn Stamp of Greatness". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[13] "NBA MVP & ABA Most Valuable Player Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 29, 2022.

[stats-14] 1 2 3 "1996–97 Utah Jazz Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.

[tbtimes.com-15] 1 2 Fry, Darrell (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 16, 2025.

[16] "1997 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.

[17] "1997 NBA All-Star Game: East 132, West 120". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.

[18] Jorgensen, Loren (February 8, 1997). "No Offense, But Malone Would Rather Be Home". Deseret News. Retrieved April 19, 2023.

[19] Roberts, Selena (February 10, 1997). "This Year, No Argument About the M.V.P. Choice". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2025.

[20] Jorgensen, Loren (February 10, 1997). "Gund Fans Misread Jazz Player's Tune". Deseret News. Retrieved August 16, 2025.

[21] "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 19, 2025.

[awards-22] 1 2 3 "1996–97 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2022.

[23] "Riley Coach of Year; Sloan 3rd". Deseret News. May 9, 1997. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

[24] "Jazz Gets a Sweep of Its Own". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 29, 1997. Retrieved May 13, 2022.

[25] Plaschke, Bill (April 29, 1997). "It's Over, But at Least There Is Hope Now". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022.

[26] "1997 NBA Western Conference First Round: Clippers vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

[27] "1997 NBA Western Conference Semifinals Game 3: Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, May 8, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 6, 2026.

[28] Friend, Tom (May 13, 1997). "Malone and Stockton Star in Same Old Story". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.

[29] Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 13, 1997). "Lakers Get Aired Out". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022.

[30] "1997 NBA Western Conference Semifinals: Lakers vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

[31] Sheridan, Chris (May 21, 1997). "Jazz 104, Rockets 92". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.

[32] Friend, Tom (May 22, 1997). "Jazz No-Names Introduce Themselves to Rockets". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2022.

[33] Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 22, 1997). "Rockets Bruised, Battered by Jazz". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2022.

[34] Roberts, Selena (May 26, 1997). "A Bolt of 0.2-Second Lightning in Houston". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.

[35] Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 26, 1997). "Rockets Are No Longer a Longshot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2022.

[36] "1997 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 4: Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets Box Score, May 25, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2026.

[37] Friend, Tom (May 28, 1997). "Resurgent Malone Puts Jazz Ahead". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2022.

[38] Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 28, 1997). "It's All in the Delivery". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2022.

[39] "1997 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 5: Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz Box Score, May 27, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2026.

[40] Friend, Tom (May 30, 1997). "Stockton Sends Jazz to Finals at Last Second". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2017.

[41] Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 30, 1997). "Jazz Toots Its Own Horn, Now Gets to Face the Music". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022.

[42] "1997 NBA Western Conference Finals: Rockets vs. Jazz". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

[43] Wise, Mike (June 12, 1997). "Weary Jordan Wills His Team Just One Away". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2026.

[44] Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 12, 1997). "Jordan Makes Jazz Air Sick". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 4, 2026.

[45] "1997 NBA Finals Game 5: Chicago Bulls at Utah Jazz Box Score, June 11, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2026.

[46] Wise, Mike (June 14, 1997). "A Fistful of Rings: Bulls Grab Fifth Title of 90's". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2022.

[47] Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 14, 1997). "Bulls Get Fifth Element". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 28, 2022.

[48] "1997 NBA Finals: Jazz vs. Bulls". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

[49] "1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 10, 2025.

[50] Evans, Richard (November 28, 1996). "Dead? Buried? No Way, Say Jazz". Deseret News. Retrieved February 1, 2023.

[51] "Jazz Zips Back in Record Style". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 29, 1996. Retrieved June 28, 2022.

[52] "Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz Box Score, November 27, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2022.

[53] 1996–97 NBA season Summary - Basketball-Reference.com

[54] Wise, Mike (June 12, 1997). "Weary Jordan Wills His Team Just One Away". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2022.

[55] Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 12, 1997). "Jordan Makes Jazz Air Sick". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 19, 2022.

[56] Adande, J.A. (June 12, 1997). "Ill Star Lifts Bulls in Game 5". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2023.

[57] Armour, Terry (June 12, 1997). "Queasy Does It". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 14, 2022.

[58] Rock, Brad (June 12, 1997). "Jordan Mere Mortal? Don't You Believe It!". Deseret News. Retrieved December 27, 2022.

[59] "Utah Jazz (1979-Present)". Sports Ecyclopedia. Sportsecyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.

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