Suns Find Cure For What Ails Them : NBA playoffs: Kevin Johnson makes a rapid recovery from stomach cramps for 39 strong minutes as Phoenix rolls over Utah and evens first-round series.
SALT LAKE CITY — The question is whether Kevin Johnson did more good for the Phoenix Suns or the gelatin industry Sunday night.
One thing is for sure, though. Johnson, returning to full duty from a viral infection, and the Suns, returning to the series, chewed up the Utah Jazz like soft food, winning, 105-87, before 12,616 at the Salt Palace to even the best-of-five first-round matchup at one game each.
It was the first victory by a road team in 16 NBA playoff games.
“A little sore and winded,†Johnson said afterward, offering his own medical update, “but victories cure you in a hurry.â€
Medically speaking, this was no miracle remedy that enabled him to play 39 minutes after going only nine in the opener Friday. Mothers everywhere would endorse it, and team doctors obviously did, too, because they headed the search committee the day before to find the healing potion.
Dr. Paul Steingard tracked down lemon chicken soup at a Greek restaurant. His son Scott, also a team physician, went to a convenience store to pick up the Jell-O Johnson wanted for his liquid diet. Strawberry flavor.
At first, the hotel kitchen said they didn’t make special requests for guests. But when one of the workers found out it was for Johnson, Jell-O it was. Next thing anyone knew, Johnson woke up Sunday feeling much better and hours later was in the starting lineup.
The Jazz couldn’t have seen this coming?
“Probably not,†Phoenix Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said. “But you’d better expect it. If Kevin’s got the ball, you’d better expect the worst for your team.â€
Utah didn’t get the worst--Johnson had seven turnovers, compared with seven assists. But opening at about 75% and getting stronger as the game progressed, he scored a game-high 22 points, and made up for any mistakes he made by simply playing. It was a better endorsement than Bill Cosby could ever have done, especially in Arizona.
“We just went out there with more confidence,†Phoenix’s Kurt Rambis said. “That’s not a knock on the players running the show the other night, but we’re used to a certain routine.â€
Beating Utah, for one thing, with the Suns holding a 4-2 advantage this season. The two losses here, Dec. 13 and Friday, came when Johnson, in order, sat out with a strained hamstring and made only a cameo appearance because of stomach cramps. Wednesday, the series moves to Phoenix, where the Jazz have lost nine in a row.
Utah was in this one for all of one quarter. The Jazz was already down, 35-21, 40 seconds into the second quarter, a deficit that would reach 19, 64-45, early in the second half.
That soon went to 23, 78-55, with 2:17 remaining in the third quarter, and, finally, 24, 82-58, with 1:18 left when Johnson whipped a pass underneath that Kenny Battle converted into a layup.
“Psychologically, it was big,†Fitzsimmons said of Johnson’s play. “But the important thing was knowing we got kicked every which way but loose (in Game 1).â€
In other words, this was about saving face for the Suns after dropping the opener by 17, and Fitzsimmons made sure they knew that. He asked several players to look into the mirror in the visitors’ locker room before taking the court.
“We watched the films from Friday night and decided that no matter what happens, whether we had Kevin or not, we were going to come out and play tonight,†Tom Chambers said.
Chambers wasn’t much help on the court, though. Like Utah’s star forward, Karl Malone, Chambers struggled through his second consecutive poor offensive showing, making only two of 12 shots.
But that was the only real debit on a team that made 49.4% of its attempts, including 52.5% in the first half, when the game was decided. With Johnson going seven of 14 and Jeff Hornacek connecting on seven of 12 shots, the Suns’ starting backcourt outscored their Utah counterparts, John Stockton and Bobby Hansen, 38-23.
In all, six Phoenix players reached double figures. Mark West, who had 14, also contributed a season-high 21 rebounds.
Malone looked the part of the sick player, or at least his game did: seven of 21, with one-of-six shooting in the second half, 20 points before fouling out after 39 minutes.
He’ll take the two-day layoff and the change of climate.
Johnson and the Suns? Their status has been upgraded, the point guard and the team. Both recovered nicely together.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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