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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Karl Malone, Bryon Russell and John Starks
looked like they had spent some time in the NBA.
Darius Miles and his teammates, meanwhile, looked like a very young
version of the perennially woeful Los Angeles Clippers.
Malone scored 34 points, Russell had 19 and Starks added 18 as
the veteran Utah Jazz opened the season with a 107-94 victory over
the youthful Clippers on Tuesday night.
"They have a lot to learn," said Starks, who scored nine
points as the Jazz seized control in the third. "They have a lot
of young talent, but they've got to bring in some veterans."
This season's Clippers, with a 19-year-old first-round draft pick in Miles and 11 players in their 20s, are one of the youngest teams in NBA history, along with the Bulls. And it showed when they crumbled during the third quarter.
Starks, beginning his 12th season and the first as Utah's
replacement for the retired Jeff Hornacek, and Russell, an eight-year veteran, combined for 23 points in the third.
Worse for the Clippers, they lost Lamar Odom to two technical fouls over a 14-second span in the period. And the Jazz stretched a 50-46 halftime lead to 80-56 with 3:06 left in the third.
As Utah pulled away, the Clippers complained about calls they didn't get and jawed with Jazz players. Coach Alvin Gentry knows that kind of behavior won't help his team harvest its rich talent.
"I'm disappointed, not in the score of the game but in the way we acted," Gentry said. "We can't be a team that acts like that. I don't care what the score is or what's going on. We've got to have composure."
John Stockton had 11 points and 14 assists for the Jazz.
Jeff McInnis led the Clippers with 20 points, while Miles had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting in his NBA debut.
"We've got to wait our turn," Miles said. "It's no big deal. We competed. We worked hard. Hey, we scored 94 points against the Utah Jazz."
Utah led 68-52 midway through the third when Odom, named to last season's All-Rookie team, was called for two offensive fouls. He lost his cool and was ejected for arguing with officials.
"We lost our composure a little bit," Odom said. "I don't
want to say too much about that. We were playing hard."
Odom's second technical came after Russell scored on a putback that helped Utah to a 72-52 lead. Starks hit a 3-pointer and Malone, in his 16th season, had a three-point play as the Jazz ran away.
The Clippers' emotional play carried over to the fourth quarter.
Michael Olowokandi also was ejected after being called for a
flagrant foul on Utah's Olden Polynice with 3:50 remaining.
"I know we're a young team and we have to earn our respect, but
it gets frustrating after a while," Olowokandi said. "This is my
third year. It's hard to keep your composure."
The Clippers haven't won in Salt Lake City since April 18, 1989,
when the Jazz played at the Salt Palace. Miles was 7.
Most of Los Angeles' scoring came from its bench. Corey Maggette
had 15 points, while Derek Strong and rookie Kenyon Dooling scored 10 each. Sean Rooks, an old man at age 31, added 11.
Game notes
Malone needs 345 points to pass Wilt Chamberlain for second
place on the NBA's career scoring list. ... Just like last season, fans groaned when Greg Ostertag missed two second-quarter free throws. They cheered wildly about five minutes later when he hit
two. ... Strong, Miles, Quentin Richardson, Russell, Quincy Lewis and Malone also received technicals. ... Utah's DeShawn Stevenson, the second high schooler behind Miles drafted last summer, scored five points in seven minutes.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Clippers Clubhouse
Utah Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 106
Atlanta 82
Cleveland 86
New Jersey 82
Orlando 97
Washington 86
Dallas 97
Milwaukee 93
Philadelphia 101
New York 72
Detroit 104
Toronto 95
Sacramento 100
Chicago 81
Minnesota 106
Houston 98
San Antonio 98
Indiana 85
Utah 107
LA Clippers 94
Golden State 96
Phoenix 94
LA Lakers 96
Portland 86
Vancouver 94
Seattle 88
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