Wednesday night was a homecoming in Salt Lake City for the Utah Jazz. After a tough three-game road trip, the team returned to a packed house. The Jazz overcame some early struggles to defeat the Knicks, 108-101 on the backs of an energetic crowd and a career high in points from Rudy Gobert.
But the midweek sellout had more to do with the reunion of the 1997 Western Conference Championship team than the current team fighting for playoff positioning.
With Jeff Hornacek and Howard Eisley coming into town as coaches for the Knicks, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the whole group back together and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Utah’s first appearance in the NBA Finals.
John Stockton, Gail Miller and Jerry Sloan addressed the media before the game to reminisce on that special time in Jazz history.
(John Stockton, Gail Miller and Jerry Sloan prior to the game)
For many Jazz fans, including myself, it was a special night. Stretches of the game felt like a throwback to the old atmosphere of the Delta Center. And while the team didn’t wear the mountain jerseys, the night honored the ’97 team well. The halftime tribute to the old team brought back memories of the most exciting time in Utah sports history.
The highlight of the evening was a video montage that culminated in the iconic moment where “John Stockton sends the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals.” The whole arena was filled with a palpable energy in anticipation of the unforgettable highlight. When Stockton hit the shot on the video board it garnered the loudest cheers of the night.
Most Jazz fans could tell you exactly where they were when Stockton hit that shot. I remember running outside and yelling at the top of my lungs. My best friend, who lived a half a block away, was outside of his house shouting as well.
Nobody in the neighborhood was mad that a couple of seven-year-old kids were shouting late into the evening, because they were all in their houses doing the same. Twenty years later that’s still the greatest sports moment of my life.
After halftime there was still a game to be played. The Jazz of 2017 kicked it into gear after the festivities. Maybe they were inspired by the reception that their predecessors received. Rudy Gobert finished with a career-high 35 points.
The Jazz and Knicks went back and forth until there were just a few minutes left in the game. The Jazz slowly started to pull away, and were able to keep it out of reach for the last stretch, winning 108-101.
Wednesday night revealed the passion that still exists in Salt Lake for the city’s biggest team. This city has a special bond with the Jazz. Even Greg Ostertag was greeted with loud applause as his name was called at halftime.
Postgame Audio –
Quin Snyder
Rudy Gobert
Gordon Hayward
