October 21, 2026
October 21, 2026
1997-1998 Utah Jazz: Back to the Finals
The end of their 1996-1997 season was hard to endure, and the Utah Jazz looked to rebound after falling two games short of their ultimate goal. It was very tough to be one of the best teams in the NBA in the 1990s, let alone get into position to win an NBA Championship, but the 1997-1998 Utah Jazz had the right mix of players to take the team back to the NBA Finals. The Jazz still had their dominant duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone, along with their fair share of role players to back them up.
In the 1997-1998 NBA season, the Utah Jazz went 62-20, finishing six games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs in the Midwest Division, but only one game ahead of both the Seattle SuperSonics and the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Jazz went 36-5 on their home court at the Delta Center and 26-15 on the road. They also went 22-2 in divisional play. Throughout each month of the regular season, the Jazz showed once again why they were a dominant force to be reckoned with, going 9-5 in November, 10-5 in December, 10-3 in January, 9-2 in February, 15-2 in March, and 9-2 in April.
Power forward Karl Malone was still delivering the mail as “The Mailman,” crashing the boards with ease. Malone had 2,190 points, 834 rebounds, 316 assists, 96 steals, and 70 blocks, making 780 of 1,472 field goal attempts and 628 of 825 free throws. He was named to the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Malone averaged 27 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Shooting guard Jeff Hornacek had 1,139 points, 349 assists, and 109 steals, making 56 of 127 three-point attempts and 285 of 322 free throws. Point guard John Stockton had 770 points, 543 assists, and 89 steals, making 270 of 511 field goal attempts, 39 of 91 three-point attempts, and 191 of 231 free throws. Stockton averaged 8.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Small forward Bryon Russell had 738 points and 90 steals, making 73 of 214 three-point attempts and 213 of 278 free throws. Shooting guard Shandon Anderson had 681 points, making 269 of 500 field goal attempts and 136 of 185 free throws. Point guard Howard Eisley had 633 points and 346 assists, making 48 of 118 three-point attempts and 127 of 149 free throws. Center Adam Keefe had 620 points and 438 rebounds, making 229 of 424 field goal attempts and 162 of 200 free throws. Small forward Chris Morris made 19 of 62 three-point attempts and 44 of 61 free throws.
The 1997-1998 Utah Jazz had multiple winning streaks that fell short of double digits, but one impressive streak stood out above the rest. This winning streak reached 11 games, beginning with a 108-97 win over the Phoenix Suns on February 26 and ending with a 102-96 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 16.
The Jazz faced a familiar foe in the First Round of the Western Conference playoffs, a team they had dealt with in the previous year’s playoffs. The Jazz went the five-game distance with the Houston Rockets. In Game 1 on April 23 at the Delta Center, the Rockets beat the Jazz 103-90. The Jazz recovered by winning Game 2 on April 25 by a score of 105-90. Karl Malone had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. John Stockton had 17 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals.
The Rockets took a brief 2-1 series lead by beating the Jazz 89-85 in Game 3 on April 29 at The Summit. The Jazz recovered again and won Game 4 on May 1 by a score of 93-71. Malone had 29 points and 13 rebounds. The Jazz put the Rockets away with an 84-70 win in the deciding Game 5 on May 3 at the Delta Center. Malone had 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. Stockton had only 4 points but added 4 rebounds and 10 assists. Jeff Hornacek had 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, making 1 of 2 three-point attempts.
The Jazz then got acquainted with a team that would prove to be one of the better teams in the NBA in the near future: the San Antonio Spurs. The Jazz eliminated the Spurs 4 games to 1. In Game 1 on May 5 at the Delta Center, the Jazz squeaked by the Spurs 83-82. Malone had 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Stockton had 15 points and 8 assists, making 1 of 2 three-point attempts.
The Jazz barely got past the Spurs again in Game 2 on May 7, winning 109-106 in overtime. Malone had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. Hornacek had 19 points and 3 assists, making 2 of 3 three-point attempts. Stockton had 18 points and 12 assists, making 1 of 2 three-point attempts.
San Antonio’s only win of the series was an 86-64 victory in Game 3 on May 9 at the Alamodome. The Jazz kept control of the series and never looked back. In Game 4 on May 10, the Jazz won 82-73. Malone had 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. Stockton had only 7 points but added 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. The Jazz then put the Spurs away with an 87-77 win in Game 5 on May 12 at the Delta Center. Malone had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. Hornacek had 19 points and 3 assists, making 2 of 3 three-point attempts. Bryon Russell had 15 points and 4 rebounds, making 3 of 4 three-point attempts.
The Western Conference Finals pitted the Jazz against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Jazz quickly took care of business, eliminating the Lakers in a four-game sweep. In Game 1 on May 16 at the Delta Center, the Jazz destroyed the Lakers 112-77. Malone had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. Howard Eisley had 14 points and 9 assists. Five different Jazz players had 10 points each: Bryon Russell, Shandon Anderson, Chris Morris, power forward Antoine Carr, and center/power forward Greg Foster.
In Game 2 on May 18, the Jazz beat the Lakers 99-95. Malone had 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Stockton had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. In Game 3 on May 22 at the Great Western Forum, the Jazz beat the Lakers 109-98. Malone had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Russell had 17 points and 3 rebounds, making 3 of 3 three-point attempts. The Jazz completed the sweep in Game 4 on May 24 with a 96-92 win. Malone had 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. Hornacek had 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Back in the NBA Finals, the Utah Jazz were determined to change their franchise history for the better, but to do that, they had to take down the team that defeated them in the 1997 NBA Finals: the Chicago Bulls. While the early signs were promising, the Jazz were not able to complete their mission, as Michael Jordan ended his storied career as a Chicago Bull in dramatic fashion. The Bulls downed the Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals to complete a second three-peat and win six NBA Championships in an eight-year span.
In Game 1 on June 3 at the Delta Center, the Jazz held on to beat the Bulls 88-85 in overtime. John Stockton had 24 points and 8 assists. Karl Malone had 21 points and 14 rebounds. Bryon Russell had 15 points and 8 rebounds. Down 3 games to 1, the Jazz extended the series by winning Game 5 on June 12 at the United Center by a score of 83-81. Malone had 39 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Stockton had only 6 points but added 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and 5 steals.
As times were changing in the NBA, so too were the Utah Jazz. While they made the playoffs in each of the next five years, the 1997-1998 Utah Jazz would be the franchise’s last team to reach the NBA Finals in that era, and eventually the once-dominant duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton was broken up. It would take some time for the Jazz to get anywhere near the level of the NBA Finals again.
7th February, 2017
17th June, 2026
5th March, 2016
29th March, 2016
17th April, 2016
October 21st, 2026 2
October 21st, 2026 2
October 21st, 2026 2
