1995–96 Utah Jazz season

The 1995–96 Utah Jazz season was the 22nd season for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association, and their 17th season in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[1] The Jazz had the 28th overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected center Greg Ostertag from the University of Kansas.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team signed free agents Chris Morris,^[5][6][7] Greg Foster,^[8][9] and second-year guard Howard Eisley.^[10][11] The team also released James Donaldson, who was out due to a strained hamstring, to free agency in December.^[12][13]

With the addition of Morris, the Jazz got off to a fast start by winning ten of their first twelve games of the regular season, and later on held a 32–16 record at the All-Star break.^[14] The team posted a seven-game winning streak between February and March, and posted a six-game winning streak in March, but lost seven of their final twelve games of the season. The Jazz finished in second place in the Midwest Division with a 55–27 record, and earned the third seed in the Western Conference;^[15] the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the 13th consecutive year.^[1]

Karl Malone averaged 25.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Jeff Hornacek averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and led the Jazz with 104 three-point field goals, and John Stockton provided the team with 14.7 points, 11.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, Morris contributed 10.5 points per game, while David Benoit provided with 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Antoine Carr contributed 7.3 points per game, while Adam Keefe provided with 6.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, starting center Felton Spencer averaged 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and Eisley contributed 4.4 points per game.^[16]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Malone and Stockton were both selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[17][18][19] Stockton had another record-breaking season, leading the NBA in assists for the ninth consecutive season, while breaking Maurice Cheeks career record in steals,^[20][21][22] and Malone moved into ninth place in all-time scoring. Malone also finished in seventh place in Most Valuable Player voting.^[23][24]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1996 NBA playoffs, the Jazz faced off against the 6th–seeded Portland Trail Blazers, a team that featured Clifford Robinson, Rod Strickland, and rookie center Arvydas Sabonis. The Jazz won the first two games over the Trail Blazers at home at the Delta Center, but then lost the next two games on the road, which included a Game 4 loss to the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden Arena, 98–90.^[25][26][27] With the series tied at 2–2, the Jazz won Game 5 over the Trail Blazers by a 38-point margin, 102–64 at the Delta Center, thus winning in a hard-fought five-game series.^[28][29][30]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Midwest Division champion San Antonio Spurs, who were led by All-Star center David Robinson, All-Star forward Sean Elliott, and Avery Johnson. With the series tied at 1–1, the Jazz won the next two games over the Spurs at the Delta Center, including a Game 4 win by a score of 101–86.^[31] After losing Game 5 on the road, 98–87 at the Alamodome,^[32] the Jazz won Game 6 over the Spurs at the Delta Center, 108–81 to win the series in six games.^[33][34][35]

In the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five years, the Jazz then faced off against the top–seeded, and Pacific Division champion Seattle SuperSonics, who were led by the All-Star trio of Shawn Kemp, Defensive Player of the Year, Gary Payton, and Detlef Schrempf. The SuperSonics took a 3–1 series lead, but the Jazz managed to win the next two games, including a Game 6 home win at the Delta Center, 118–83 to even the series.^[36] However, the Jazz lost Game 7 to the SuperSonics on the road, 90–86 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, thus losing in a hard-fought seven-game series.^[37][38][39] The SuperSonics would advance to the 1996 NBA Finals, but would lose in six games to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.^[40][41][42]

The Jazz finished fifth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 813,073 at the Delta Center during the regular season.^[16][43] Following the season, Benoit signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets,^[44][45][46] and Spencer was traded to the Orlando Magic.^[47][48][49]