Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license.
Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat.
We can research this topic together.
In the Western Conference First Round of the ], the Jazz trailed 2–1 to the 8th-seeded ],<ref>{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = NBA: PLAYOFFS; Utah Loses and Nears Elimination | work = The New York Times | date = April 30, 1998 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/30/sports/nba-playoffs-utah-loses-and-nears-elimination.html | access-date = January 18, 2022}}</ref> but managed to win the series in five games.<ref>{{cite news | last = Jorgensen | first = Loren | title = Hous-Done! | work = Deseret News | date = May 4, 1998 | url = https://www.deseret.com/1998/5/4/19378048/hous-done | access-date = November 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Western Conference First Round: Rockets vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-western-conference-first-round-rockets-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref> In the Western Conference Semi-finals, they defeated the ] in five games.<ref>{{cite news | last = Bucher | first = Ric | title = Malone, Jazz Put Spurs Out of Their Misery | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = May 13, 1998 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1998/05/13/malone-jazz-put-spurs-out-of-their-misery/433ecd1f-ee6a-4e59-ac89-c746ccb0941e/ | access-date = November 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Western Conference semifinals: Spurs vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-western-conference-semifinals-spurs-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref> After that, the Jazz swept the ] in the Western Conference finals in four straight games to advance to the ] for the second consecutive year.<ref>{{cite news | last = Howard-Cooper | first = Scott | title = Bittersweep End | work = Los Angeles Times | date = May 25, 1998 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-25-sp-53375-story.html | access-date = May 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Western Conference finals: Lakers vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-western-conference-finals-lakers-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref>
In the Western Conference First Round of the ], the Jazz trailed 2–1 to the 8th-seeded ],<ref>{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = NBA: PLAYOFFS; Utah Loses and Nears Elimination | work = The New York Times | date = April 30, 1998 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/30/sports/nba-playoffs-utah-loses-and-nears-elimination.html | access-date = January 18, 2022}}</ref> but managed to win the series in five games.<ref>{{cite news | last = Jorgensen | first = Loren | title = Hous-Done! | work = Deseret News | date = May 4, 1998 | url = https://www.deseret.com/1998/5/4/19378048/hous-done | access-date = November 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Western Conference First Round: Rockets vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-western-conference-first-round-rockets-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref> In the Western Conference Semi-finals, they defeated the ] in five games.<ref>{{cite news | last = Bucher | first = Ric | title = Malone, Jazz Put Spurs Out of Their Misery | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = May 13, 1998 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1998/05/13/malone-jazz-put-spurs-out-of-their-misery/433ecd1f-ee6a-4e59-ac89-c746ccb0941e/ | access-date = November 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Western Conference semifinals: Spurs vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-western-conference-semifinals-spurs-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref> After that, the Jazz swept the ] in the Western Conference finals in four straight games to advance to the ] for the second consecutive year.<ref>{{cite news | last = Howard-Cooper | first = Scott | title = Bittersweep End | work = Los Angeles Times | date = May 25, 1998 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-25-sp-53375-story.html | access-date = May 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Western Conference finals: Lakers vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-western-conference-finals-lakers-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref>
In a rematch of ], the Jazz once again met the ]. Despite the Jazz having home-court advantage after winning the regular season series over the Bulls in two games, the Bulls once again prevailed over the Jazz in six games, winning their third consecutive championship, and sixth overall in eight years.<ref>{{cite news | last = Araton | first = Harvey | title = Sports of the Times; At the End, Jordan Lifts Bulls to Their Sixth N.B.A. Title | work = The New York Times | date = June 15, 1998 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/15/sports/sports-of-the-times-at-the-end-jordan-lifts-bulls-to-their-sixth-nba-title.html | access-date = January 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Howard-Cooper | first = Scott | title = A Rousing Six-cess | work = Los Angeles Times | date = June 15, 1998 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-15-sp-60167-story.html | access-date = June 28, 2022}}</ref><ref name="chicagotribune.com">{{cite news | last = Armour | first = Terry | title = Michael Jordan Hits 'The Shot', and the Chicago Bulls Beat Utah Jazz for Their 6th NBA Championship | work = Chicago Tribune | date = June 15, 1998 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bulls/ct-june-14-1998-bulls-beat-jazz-michael-jordan-story.html | access-date = September 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Robinson | first = Doug | title = M.J.'s Moment: A Finals Finale | work = Deseret News | date = June 15, 1998 | url = https://www.deseret.com/1998/6/15/19385920/m-j-s-moment-a-finals-finale | access-date = December 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Finals: Bulls vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-finals-bulls-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref>
In a rematch of ], the Jazz once again met the ]. The Bulls once again prevailed over the Jazz in six games, winning their third consecutive championship and sixth overall in eight years.<ref>{{cite news | last = Araton | first = Harvey | title = Sports of the Times; At the End, Jordan Lifts Bulls to Their Sixth N.B.A. Title | work = The New York Times | date = June 15, 1998 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/15/sports/sports-of-the-times-at-the-end-jordan-lifts-bulls-to-their-sixth-nba-title.html | access-date = January 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 1998 NBA Finals: Bulls vs. Jazz | work = Basketball-Reference | date = | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1998-nba-finals-bulls-vs-jazz.html | access-date = February 4, 2023}}</ref>
During the off-season, All-Star point guard John Stockton sustained a knee injury that caused him to miss the first 18 games of the regular season. The Jazz got off to an 11–7 start after losing three of their first four games. The team also changed their starting lineup, replacing Bryon Russell at small forward with Adam Keefe, and replacing Greg Ostertag at center with Greg Foster. However, Stockton would eventually return as the Jazz held a 31–15 record at the All-Star break.
The Jazz won 31 of their final 36 games after the All-Star break, including an 11-game winning streak between February and March. The team finished in first place in the Midwest Division with a 62–20 record, which was tied with the Bulls the league's best record. They also made their fifteenth consecutive trip to the playoffs.
Top scorer Karl Malone averaged 27.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team, and was also the only member of the team to be selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. In addition, the Jazz offense featured two other players who averaged in double-digits in points per game: Jeff Hornacek with 14.2 points per game and Stockton with 12.0 points per game.
Malone finished in second place in Most Valuable Player voting behind Michael Jordan, who won his fifth MVP award with 92 first-place votes, while Malone had 20 first-place votes, and head coach Jerry Sloan finished in second place in Coach of the Year voting. Hornacek also won the Three-Point Shootout during the All-Star Weekend in New York City, New York.
In the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Jazz trailed 2–1 to the 8th-seeded Houston Rockets, but managed to win the series in five games. In the Western Conference Semi-finals, they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games. After that, the Jazz swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals in four straight games to advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.
In a rematch of last year's NBA Finals, the Jazz once again met the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls once again prevailed over the Jazz in six games, winning their third consecutive championship and sixth overall in eight years.
The Jazz used two picks; a first-round pick on point guardJacque Vaughn and a second round pick on Nate Erdmann. Vaughn would play with the team for four seasons before going to the Atlanta Hawks and Erdmann was cut from the team right before regular season, therefore signing with Idaho Stampede in the CBA.
United States
Injured