The 1995âÂÂ96 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. During the off-season, the Jazz signed free agents Chris Morris, Greg Foster, and second-year guard Howard Eisley. The team also released James Donaldson, who was out with a strained hamstring, to free agency in December.
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 32âÂÂ16 record at the All-Star break. 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 55âÂÂ27 record, and earned the third seed in the Western Conference; the team also made their 13th consecutive trip to the NBA playoffs.
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 John Stockton averaged 14.7 points, 11.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, Jeff Hornacek provided the team with 15.2 points, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and led them with 104 three-point field goals, while Morris contributed 10.5 points per game, and 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, and Felton Spencer averaged 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
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. Stockton had another record-breaking season, leading the NBA in assists for the ninth consecutive season, while breaking Maurice Cheeks career record in steals, and Malone moved into ninth place in all-time scoring. Malone also finished in seventh place in Most Valuable Player voting.
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1996 NBA playoffs, the Jazz faced off against the 6thâÂÂseeded 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, 98âÂÂ90. With the series tied at 2âÂÂ2, the Jazz won Game 5 over the Trail Blazers by a 38-point margin, 102âÂÂ64 at the Delta Center, thus winning in a hard-fought five-game series.
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 2ndâÂÂseeded, 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 1âÂÂ1, the Jazz won the next two games over the Spurs at the Delta Center, including a Game 4 win by a score of 101âÂÂ86. After losing Game 5 on the road, 98âÂÂ87 at the Alamodome, the Jazz won Game 6 over the Spurs at the Delta Center, 108âÂÂ81 to win the series in six games.
In the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five years, the Jazz then faced off against the topâÂÂseeded, 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 3âÂÂ1 series lead, but the Jazz managed to win the next two games, including a Game 6 home win at the Delta Center, 118âÂÂ83 to even the series. However, the Jazz lost Game 7 to the SuperSonics on the road, 90âÂÂ86 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, thus losing in a hard-fought seven-game series. The SuperSonics would advance to the 1996 NBA Finals, but would lose in six games to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
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. Following the season, Benoit signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets, and Spencer was traded to the Orlando Magic.
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | | Seattle | W 112âÂÂ94 | | | | Delta Center | 1âÂÂ0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | | Atlanta | W 105âÂÂ96 | | | | Delta Center | 2âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | | @ New York | L 110âÂÂ120 | | | | Madison Square Garden | 4âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | | Chicago | L 85âÂÂ90 | | | | Delta Center | 10âÂÂ3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 16 | | @ Houston | W 112âÂÂ105 | | | | The Summit | 12âÂÂ4
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 17 | | Houston | L 100âÂÂ103 | | | | Delta Center | 12âÂÂ5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 21 | | @ Orlando | L 99âÂÂ111 | | | | Orlando Arena | 14âÂÂ7 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 26 | | @ Chicago | L 86âÂÂ100 | | | | United Center | 17âÂÂ9
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 31 | | @ San Antonio | L 97âÂÂ111 | | | | Alamodome | 21âÂÂ10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 34 | | San Antonio | L 94âÂÂ101 | | | | Delta Center | 22âÂÂ12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 35 | | @ Houston | L 99âÂÂ107 | | | | The Summit | 22âÂÂ13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 36 | | Orlando | W 111âÂÂ99 | | | | Delta Center | 23âÂÂ13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 40 | | @ Seattle | L 93âÂÂ94 | | | | KeyArena | 26âÂÂ14
|- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 49 | | @ San Antonio | W 114âÂÂ111 (OT) | | | | Alamodome | 33âÂÂ16
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 56 | | New York | W 99âÂÂ88 | | | | Delta Center | 39âÂÂ17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 59 | | Houston | W 109âÂÂ89 | | | | Delta Center | 42âÂÂ17 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 61 | | @ Atlanta | L 89âÂÂ115 | | | | The Omni | 43âÂÂ18 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 71 | | @ Seattle | L 98âÂÂ100 | | | | KeyArena | 50âÂÂ21
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 72 | | Seattle | L 91âÂÂ100 | | | | Delta Center | 50âÂÂ22 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 76 | | San Antonio | L 91âÂÂ92 | | | | Delta Center | 51âÂÂ25
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | April 25 | Portland | W 110âÂÂ102 | Karl Malone (33) | Karl Malone (9) | John Stockton (23) | Delta Center<br>19,614 | 1âÂÂ0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | April 27 | Portland | W 105âÂÂ90 | Karl Malone (30) | Karl Malone (14) | John Stockton (16) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 2âÂÂ0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | April 29 | @ Portland | L 91âÂÂ94 (OT) | Karl Malone (35) | David Benoit (11) | John Stockton (11) | Rose Garden<br>21,401 | 2âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | May 1 | @ Portland | L 90âÂÂ98 | Jeff Hornacek (30) | Malone, Morris (6) | John Stockton (11) | Rose Garden<br>21,401 | 2âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | May 5 | Portland | W 102âÂÂ64 | Karl Malone (25) | Karl Malone (10) | John Stockton (11) | Delta Center<br>19,682 | 3âÂÂ2 |-
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | | @ San Antonio | W 95âÂÂ75 | Karl Malone (23) | Karl Malone (7) | John Stockton (19) | Alamodome<br>15,112 | 1âÂÂ0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | | @ San Antonio | L 77âÂÂ88 | Karl Malone (24) | Malone, Ostertag (8) | John Stockton (13) | Alamodome<br>18,635 | 1âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | | San Antonio | W 105âÂÂ75 | Karl Malone (32) | Karl Malone (11) | John Stockton (7) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 2âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | | San Antonio | W 101âÂÂ86 | Chris Morris (25) | Adam Keefe (7) | John Stockton (10) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 3âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | | @ San Antonio | L 87âÂÂ98 | Karl Malone (24) | Karl Malone (12) | John Stockton (8) | Alamodome<br>34,215 | 3âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 6 | | San Antonio | W 108âÂÂ81 | Karl Malone (25) | Karl Malone (13) | John Stockton (13) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 4âÂÂ2 |-
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | | @ Seattle | L 72âÂÂ102 | Karl Malone (21) | Karl Malone (8) | John Stockton (7) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 0âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | | @ Seattle | L 87âÂÂ91 | Karl Malone (32) | Karl Malone (13) | John Stockton (7) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 0âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | | Seattle | W 96âÂÂ76 | Malone, Hornacek (28) | Karl Malone (18) | Jeff Hornacek (8) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 1âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | | Seattle | L 86âÂÂ88 | Karl Malone (25) | Karl Malone (12) | Malone, Stockton (8) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 1âÂÂ3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | | @ Seattle | W 98âÂÂ95 (OT) | Karl Malone (29) | Karl Malone (15) | John Stockton (6) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 2âÂÂ3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 6 | | Seattle | W 118âÂÂ83 | Karl Malone (32) | Karl Malone (10) | John Stockton (12) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 3âÂÂ3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 7 | | @ Seattle | L 86âÂÂ90 | Malone, Stockton (22) | John Stockton (8) | Malone, Stockton (7) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 3âÂÂ4 |-
Player statistics citation: