Kidd, Suns Fight Off Jazz
Jason Kidd was so ill, he felt like throwing up on the court. Joe Kleine's nose was so battered, he needed plastic surgery after the game.
But after beating the Utah Jazz on their home floor, the Phoenix Suns never felt better.
Kidd had 19 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds as the revved-up Suns, spurred by a series of physical confrontations with Karl Malone, beat the Jazz 99-85 Monday night.
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"I think we feel they haven't respected us this season," Chapman said. "That was what made us play hard, more than anything else."
The Suns, who were less than a second away from a win in Utah two weeks ago before Malone made three free throws to steal a win, were willing to fight the physical battles with the Mailman down low this time.
They ended up winning the war though Kleine, who had his face bloodied and his lip split by a Malone elbow, looked like a casualty.
"Joe's getting plastic surgery right now," coach Danny Ainge said afterward. "It's all right. He needed a little plastic surgery."
The teams were playing each other for the third time in 18 days, and their mutual dislike was apparent. Malone nearly came to blows with both Luc Longley and Kleine in the first quarter.
With 1:03 left in the first quarter, the Mailman drove to the hoop for a shot, and Kleine intervened. In their collision, Malone hit Kleine square in the mouth with his elbow.
Kleine, holding his hand to his bleeding face, followed Malone to the other end of the court and shoved him in the chest, leaving a bloody handprint on Malone's jersey. He left the court to change uniform tos, while Kleine went to the hospital for 30 stitches and minor plastic surgery.
"Karl spreads open when he gets down there under the basket," Kidd said. "Joe thought it was a cheap shot, and as a man he has to protect himself."
"I don't know what happened to Joe Kleine?" Malone said. "He stuck his nose in there. What am I supposed to do, not shoot it? ... I'm not going to go up soft. I've been playing that way for 14 years."
Kleine was to rejoin the Suns at the team plane, and it wasn't immediately known whether he would miss any games.
The Suns seemed energized by the physical play, while the Jazz, playing their 14th game in 21 days, simply looked tired. It doesn't get any easier for the Jazz, who are at Seattle Tuesday.
After trailing 58-55 midway through the third quarter, Phoenix had a 19-4 run and went into the fourth up 74-62. Kidd, who has been battling sickness for several days and was so nauseous after halftime that he said "I felt like throwing up out there," had eight points and three assists during the stretch.
"I'm going to sleep all day tomorrow, and I'm going to sleep all the way to Minnesota," Kidd said. "I think I drank too much Gatorade."
The Suns play the Timberwolves Wednesday.
With Malone having difficulty getting open inside in the second half, the Jazz resorted to jump shots, most of which weren't going down. Utah also was outrebounded 39-36.
Utah never got closer than 11 points in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter as Kidd and Chapman, who was 9-of-16 from the field after going 1-of-9 the last time Phoenix played in Utah, bombed away from outside. All five Suns starters scored in double figures, and Pat Garrity had 17 points.
With just two home games remaining, the Jazz, who have held the league's best home record for much of the year, are 2-2 in their last four games at the Delta Center. Utah leads Portland by just a half-game for the league's best record.
Phoenix now trails the slumping Los Angeles Lakers, who lost to Houston Monday, by 2 1/2 games for fifth place in the Western Conference. Kidd, who had 22 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds Sunday against Houston, missed his seventh triple-double of the year by three boards.
After beating Phoenix in 15 of their previous 18 meetings, the Jazz have lost two straight in the series.
Malone led the Jazz with 21 points. John Stockton had 13 points and 11 assists.
With 8:36 left in the first, Longley was hit with an offensive foul for a pick he set on Malone. Longley and Malone screamed profanities at each other as they ran down the court, but when Longley beckoned Malone to take a swing at him, Malone walked away with his hand raised.
Notes: Utah fell to 20-3 at home. ... Jazz owner Larry Miller was fined $10,000 by the NBA Monday for his on-court argument with Trail Blazers guard Greg Anthony last Friday. Millewatched Monday's game from his customary courtside seat, though he was less boisterous than usual. During the break between the third and fourth quarters, the Jazz's mascot, Bear, hit Miller in the face with a birthday cake. ... Tom Gugliotta was held out of the game with a sore ankle. Gugliotta, the Suns' high-priced free agent pickup, has missed seven games with injuries this year. ... Malone and Longley didn't exchange the customary pregame handshake. ... Even with Monday's win, Phoenix is just 4-8 in its last 12 road games.
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