The 1998âÂÂ99 Utah Jazz season was the 25th season for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association, and their 20th season in Salt Lake City, Utah. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50. The Jazz entered the regular season once again as runners-up in the NBA Finals, having lost back-to-back NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls, both in six games. However, with Michael Jordan retiring for a second time, Scottie Pippen being traded to the Houston Rockets, Dennis Rodman signing with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent, and Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the Bulls dynasty that headlined much of the 1990s was dramatically dismantled, and the Jazz hoped to make the NBA Finals for a third time. During the off-season, the team re-signed free agent, and former Jazz forward Thurl Bailey, who came out of his retirement; Bailey last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 1993âÂÂ94 season.
The Jazz got off to a 19âÂÂ4 start to the regular season, and later on posted an 11-game winning streak in April. However, the team played around .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, but managed to finish in second place in the Midwest Division with a league-best 37âÂÂ13 record, earning the third seed in the Western Conference; however, their record was tied with the San Antonio Spurs, who won the Midwest Division title by a tie-breaker. The Jazz also made their 16th consecutive trip to the NBA playoffs.
Karl Malone averaged 23.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year for the second time, and was also named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Bryon Russell returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench the previous season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, while Jeff Hornacek contributed 12.2 points per game, and John Stockton provided the team with 11.1 points, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. Meanwhile, Greg Ostertag averaged 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, while off the bench, Shandon Anderson contributed 8.5 points per game, and Howard Eisley provided with 7.5 points and 3.7 assists per game. Russell and Ostertag both finished tied in tenth place in Most Improved Player voting, while Eisley finished in eighth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and head coach Jerry Sloan finished in third place in Coach of the Year voting.
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Jazz faced off against the 6thâÂÂseeded Sacramento Kings, a team that featured All-Star forward Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and rookie point guard Jason Williams. The Jazz struggled and faced elimination as the Kings took a 2âÂÂ1 series lead; the Jazz lost Game 3 to the Kings on the road in overtime, 84âÂÂ81 at the ARCO Arena II. However, the Jazz managed to win Game 4 on the road, 90âÂÂ89 to even the series, and then won Game 5 over the Kings at home in overtime, 99âÂÂ92 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 Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers, who were led by Isaiah Rider, Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire. The Jazz had home-court advantage in the series since they finished with a better regular-season record than the Trail Blazers. Despite this, the Trail Blazers took a 3âÂÂ1 series lead, but the Jazz managed to win Game 5 at home, 88âÂÂ71 at the Delta Center. However, the Jazz lost Game 6 to the Trail Blazers on the road, 92âÂÂ80 at the Rose Garden Arena, thus losing the series in six games.
The Jazz finished fourth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 493,120 at the Delta Center during the regular season. Following the season, Anderson signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets, while Greg Foster signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Bailey retired for the second time.
For the season, the Jazz added new black alternate road uniforms with brown side panels to their jerseys and shorts, which would remain in use until 2004.
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | May 8 | Sacramento | W 117âÂÂ87 | Karl Malone (21) | Greg Ostertag (9) | Karl Malone (9) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 1âÂÂ0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | May 10 | Sacramento | L 90âÂÂ101 | Karl Malone (33) | Karl Malone (10) | Eisley, Stockton (6) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 1âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | May 12 | @ Sacramento | L 81âÂÂ84 (OT) | Karl Malone (22) | Karl Malone (13) | Malone, Stockton (5) | ARCO Arena<br>17,317 | 1âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | May 14 | @ Sacramento | W 90âÂÂ89 | Karl Malone (23) | Karl Malone (16) | John Stockton (8) | ARCO Arena<br>17,317 | 2âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | May 16 | Sacramento | W 99âÂÂ92 (OT) | Karl Malone (20) | Karl Malone (12) | John Stockton (14) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 3âÂÂ2 |-
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | May 18 | Portland | W 93âÂÂ83 | Karl Malone (25) | Karl Malone (12) | John Stockton (7) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 1âÂÂ0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | May 20 | Portland | L 81âÂÂ84 | Karl Malone (23) | Karl Malone (17) | John Stockton (9) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 1âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | May 22 | @ Portland | L 87âÂÂ97 | Karl Malone (25) | Karl Malone (14) | John Stockton (5) | Rose Garden<br>20,720 | 1âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | May 23 | @ Portland | L 75âÂÂ81 | Malone, Russell (17) | Karl Malone (11) | John Stockton (10) | Rose Garden<br>20,720 | 1âÂÂ3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | May 25 | Portland | W 88âÂÂ71 | Karl Malone (23) | Ostertag, Russell (9) | John Stockton (14) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 2âÂÂ3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | May 27 | @ Portland | L 80âÂÂ92 | Jeff Hornacek (21) | Karl Malone (7) | John Stockton (10) | Rose Garden<br>20,727 | 2âÂÂ4 |-
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