Finally, Jazz end losing streak

Last time the Jazz lost more than a half-dozen games in a row, Kirk Snyder was a few months away from being born. Fellow rookie Kris Humphries was a couple years off. And Jerry Sloan was just a year removed from having been fired as coach of the Chicago Bulls.

John Stockton was still at Gonzaga, Karl Malone was still seasons away from the NBA.

It was late January and early February of 1983.

Adrian Dantley was out with torn wrist ligaments, and a cast that included Darryl Griffith, Rickey Green, Jeff Wilkins, Jerry Eaves and big man Mark Eaton bumbled its way through one loss after another.

Friday night at the Delta Center, Snyder helped ensure Sloan's Jazz would not stretch their current losing streak beyond six straight — and perhaps even to the nine straight losses coach Frank Layden's '82-'83 club endured.

Utah beat the Portland Trail Blazers 92-87 after overtime in a late-starting game that was nationally televised by ESPN, snapping a stretch of six consecutive losses, eight in their nine games and 10 in their last 12 for the 9-11 Jazz.

Jazz co-captain and starting small center Matt Harpring hit the Jazz's first basket of overtime, then hit another jumper to make it 88-87 Jazz, and with Utah was on its way toward ending the streak.

The Jazz sealed the deal when both Carlos Boozer and Carlos Arroyo made 1-of-2 free throws, Boozer with 41.6 seconds left in overtime and Arroyo with 17.9 to go in the extra period.

Derek Anderson tried one last trey for Portland, but he missed and Harpring pulled down the rebound.

Harpring added the final two final two free throws in the waning seconds.

He also hit two free throws to put Utah ahead by two, 76-75 with one minute and one second remaining in the fourth quarter.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim went to the free-throw line 15 seconds later, missing his first but making his second to tie the game.

On the Jazz's ensuing possession, Snyder made a decidedly athletic, even acrobatic, play, converting a layup with his back to the basket to make it 78-76 Jazz with 33.1 seconds to go.

The Jazz went up when starting center Mehmet Okur went to the free-throw line with 1.3 seconds left in regulation after getting fouled on an extra long-distance trey try by Portland's Zach Randolph.

Randolph caught Okur on the wrist on his follow-through, and Okur responded by hitting all three freebies.