1992–93 Utah Jazz season

The 1992–93 Utah Jazz season was the 19th season for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association, and their 14th season in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[1] The city of Salt Lake City hosted the NBA All-Star weekend at the Delta Center this season.^[2] During the off-season, the Jazz acquired Jay Humphries and Larry Krystkowiak from the Milwaukee Bucks.^[3][4][5]

With the addition of Humphries and Krystkowiak, the Jazz won six of their first eight games of the regular season. The team posted a six-game winning streak between December and January, which led to a 20–8 start to the season, and later on held a 33–18 record at the All-Star break.^[6] However, the Jazz played below .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, posting a 6–8 record in February, which included a five-game losing streak between February and March. During the final month of the regular season, the team signed free agent James Donaldson, who played in the final six games.^[7][8][9] The Jazz finished in third place in the Midwest Division with a 47–35 record, and earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference;^[10] the team also made their tenth consecutive trip to the NBA playoffs.^[11]

Karl Malone averaged 27.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Jeff Malone averaged 18.1 points per game, and John Stockton provided the team with 15.1 points, 12.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, Tyrone Corbin provided with 11.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while Humphries contributed 8.8 points, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and second-year forward David Benoit averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Krystkowiak provided with 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, Mike Brown averaged 5.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and Mark Eaton contributed 2.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.^[12]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Karl Malone and Stockton were both selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[13][14][15] Karl Malone scored 28 points along with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Stockton contributed 9 points, 15 assists and 2 steals; both players shared the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award, as the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference in overtime, 135–132.^[16][17][15] Meanwhile, Benoit participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.^[18][19] Karl Malone finished tied in eighth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Stockton finished tied in tenth place.^[20][21]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1993 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Jazz faced off against the 3rd–seeded Seattle SuperSonics, who were led by All-Star forward Shawn Kemp, Ricky Pierce and Gary Payton. After losing Game 1 to the SuperSonics on the road, 99–85 at the Seattle Center Coliseum, the Jazz won the next two games to take a 2–1 series lead, which included a Game 3 win over the SuperSonics at the Delta Center, 90–80.^[22][23][24] However, the Jazz lost the next two games, including a Game 5 loss to the SuperSonics at the Seattle Center Coliseum, 100–92, thus losing in a hard-fought five-game series.^[25][26][27]

The Jazz finished third in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 815,892 at the Delta Center during the regular season.^[12][28] Following the season, Krystkowiak signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic,^[29][30] and Brown was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.^[31][32]