1991–92 Utah Jazz season

The 1991–92 Utah Jazz season was the 18th season for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association, and their 13th season in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[1] It was also the team's first season playing at their new arena, the Delta Center.^[2][3] The Jazz had the 21st overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft, and selected point guard Eric Murdock out of Providence College.^[4][5][6]

The Jazz played around .500 in winning percentage with a 7–6 start to the regular season. In late November, the team traded their long-time forward, and sixth man Thurl Bailey to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Tyrone Corbin.^[7][8][9] With the addition of Corbin, the Jazz held a 31–18 record at the All-Star break,^[10] posted a six-game winning streak in February, and won their final seven games of the season. The Jazz finished in first place in the Midwest Division with a 55–27 record, and earned the second seed in the Western Conference;^[11] the team qualified for their ninth consecutive trip to the NBA playoffs.^[12]

Karl Malone averaged 28.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Jeff Malone finished second on the team in scoring averaging 20.2 points per game, and John Stockton provided the team with 15.8 points, 13.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game, leading the league in assists for the fifth consecutive season, as he was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In addition, Blue Edwards contributed 12.6 points per game, while off the bench, Corbin played a sixth man role, averaging 9.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in 69 games after the trade, Mike Brown provided with 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, undrafted rookie small forward David Benoit contributed 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, and starting center Mark Eaton averaged 3.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.^[13]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, Karl Malone and Stockton were both selected for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[14][15][16] In addition, Stockton also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout.^[17][18] Karl Malone finished in fourth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Stockton finished tied in twelfth place;^[19][20] Malone also finished tied in sixth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[21][20] while Corbin finished tied in fourth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting,^[20] and head coach Jerry Sloan finished tied in ninth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[20]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1992 NBA playoffs, the Jazz faced off against the 7th–seeded Los Angeles Clippers, a team that featured Danny Manning, Ron Harper and Doc Rivers. The Jazz won the first two games over the Clippers at home at the Delta Center, before losing Game 3 on the road, 98–88 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Game 4 of the series was played at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, due to the 1992 Los Angeles riots;^[22][23][24] the Jazz lost the game, 115–107 as the Clippers evened the series. The Jazz won Game 5 over the Clippers at the Delta Center, 98–89 to win the series in five games.^[25][26][27]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 6th–seeded Seattle SuperSonics, who were led by All-Star guard Ricky Pierce, sixth man Eddie Johnson, and Shawn Kemp. The Jazz won the first two games at the Delta Center, but then lost Game 3 to the SuperSonics on the road, 104–98 at the Seattle Center Coliseum. The Jazz won the next two games over the SuperSonics, which included a Game 5 home win at the Delta Center, 111–100 to win the series in five games.^[28][29][30]

In the Western Conference Finals, and for the second consecutive year, the Jazz faced off against the top–seeded, and Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers, a team that featured All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, All-Star guard Terry Porter, and Jerome Kersey. The Jazz lost the first two games to the Trail Blazers on the road at the Memorial Coliseum, but managed to win the next two games at home, including a Game 4 win over the Trail Blazers at the Delta Center, 121–112 to even the series. However, after losing Game 5 at the Memorial Coliseum in overtime, 127–121, the Jazz lost Game 6 to the Trail Blazers at the Delta Center, 105–97, thus losing the series in six games.^[31][32][33] The Trail Blazers would lose in six games to the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls in the 1992 NBA Finals.^[34][35][36]

The Jazz finished third in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 806,663 at the Delta Center during the regular season.^[13][37] Following the season, Edwards and Murdock were both traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.^[38][39][40] One notable incident of the regular season occurred on December 14, 1991, during a home game against the Detroit Pistons, Karl Malone committed a flagrant foul on All-Star guard Isiah Thomas, in which Malone hit Thomas's forehead with his elbow, and Thomas had to receive 40 stitches; Malone was suspended for one game as the Jazz defeated the Pistons, 102–100.^[41][42][43]