The 1987-88 Utah Jazz season marked a significant chapter in the franchise’s history, showcasing their emergence as a formidable team in the NBA. Under the guidance of head coach Frank Layden, the Jazz finished the regular season with a record of 47-35, securing the second spot in the Midwest Division. This performance guaranteed them a spot in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
A key highlight of the season was the outstanding play of Karl Malone, who established himself as one of the league’s premier power forwards. Malone averaged 27.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, earning his first All-Star selection. Point guard John Stockton also played a crucial role, leading the league with an average of 13.8 assists per game, which solidified his status as one of the best playmakers in the game.
In the playoffs, the Jazz faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. Utah triumphed with a 3-1 series win, marking their first playoff series victory in franchise history. The Jazz advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite a valiant effort, the Jazz were defeated in a hard-fought seven-game series. This playoff run, however, demonstrated the team’s potential and laid the foundation for future successes.
The 1987-88 season was pivotal for the Jazz, highlighting the emergence of their dynamic duo, Malone and Stockton, and establishing the groundwork for their consistent playoff appearances in subsequent years.
- Regular Season Record: 47-35
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 3-1, Western Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Utah Jazz Roster and Stats for 1987-88 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Karl Malone | 82 | 27.7 | 12.0 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 11 | 29.7 | 11.8 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Thurl Bailey | 82 | 19.6 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 33.3 | 11 | 23.2 | 5.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 0.0 |
| John Stockton | 82 | 14.7 | 2.9 | 13.8 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 35.8 | 11 | 19.5 | 4.1 | 14.8 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 28.6 |
| Darrell Griffith | 52 | 11.3 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 27.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Bob Hansen | 81 | 9.6 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 33.0 | 11 | 15.4 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 52.8 |
| Kelly Tripucka | 49 | 7.5 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 41.9 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mark Eaton | 82 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 11 | 7.7 | 9.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 0.0 |
| Melvin Turpin | 79 | 5.9 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 33.4 | 7 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Rickey Green | 81 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 21.1 | 7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Carey Scurry | 29 | 4.8 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 37.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Marc Iavaroni | 81 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 11 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Scott Roth | 26 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 18.2 | 6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Eddie Hughes | 11 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16.7 | 7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
| Darryl Dawkins | 4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Bart Kofoed | 36 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 28.6 | 10 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 20.0 |
Utah Jazz in the 1988 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Portland Trail Blazers
In the first round of the 1988 NBA Playoffs, the Utah Jazz faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers in a tightly contested five-game series. The Jazz, led by the dynamic duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton, managed to clinch the series 3-1, showcasing Malone's scoring prowess and Stockton's exceptional playmaking. This victory marked the Jazz's ability to compete at a high level in the postseason and set the stage for future deep playoff runs.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 1988 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 108-96 | |
| Apr 30, 1988 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 114-105 | |
| May 04, 1988 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 113-108 | |
| May 06, 1988 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 111-96 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Los Angeles Lakers
In the 1988 NBA Playoffs, the Utah Jazz reached the second round, showcasing their grit and determination. Led by the dynamic duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton, the Jazz put up a fierce fight against the formidable Los Angeles Lakers but ultimately fell short, losing the series 4-3. This performance solidified Utah's status as a rising force in the Western Conference, setting the stage for their future successes.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 08, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 110-91 | |
| May 10, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 101-97 | |
| May 13, 1988 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 96-89 | |
| May 15, 1988 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 113-100 | |
| May 17, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 111-109 | |
| May 19, 1988 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 108-80 | |
| May 21, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 109-98 |
Utah Jazz 1987-88 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1987-88 season for the Utah Jazz.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 06, 1987 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 95-93 | |
| Nov 07, 1987 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 121-100 | |
| Nov 10, 1987 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 100-88 | |
| Nov 11, 1987 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 121-92 | |
| Nov 13, 1987 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 109-92 | |
| Nov 14, 1987 | @ Houston Rockets | L 101-93 | |
| Nov 17, 1987 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 120-110 | |
| Nov 18, 1987 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 90-80 | |
| Nov 20, 1987 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 112-81 | |
| Nov 21, 1987 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 120-119 | |
| Nov 24, 1987 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 100-83 | |
| Nov 27, 1987 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 118-96 | |
| Nov 30, 1987 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 106-100 | |
| Dec 02, 1987 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 105-101 | |
| Dec 04, 1987 | vs. New York Knicks | W 104-92 | |
| Dec 05, 1987 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 126-117 | |
| Dec 08, 1987 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 105-100 | |
| Dec 10, 1987 | @ Houston Rockets | L 98-93 | |
| Dec 12, 1987 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 127-93 | |
| Dec 14, 1987 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 116-95 | |
| Dec 16, 1987 | @ Boston Celtics | L 121-111 | |
| Dec 18, 1987 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 121-97 | |
| Dec 19, 1987 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 130-124 | |
| Dec 21, 1987 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 106-95 | |
| Dec 23, 1987 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 91-83 | |
| Dec 26, 1987 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 117-109 | |
| Dec 29, 1987 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 98-97 | |
| Dec 30, 1987 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 104-103 | |
| Jan 02, 1988 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 107-105 | |
| Jan 04, 1988 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 107-99 | |
| Jan 06, 1988 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 116-93 | |
| Jan 08, 1988 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 111-107 | |
| Jan 09, 1988 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 113-91 | |
| Jan 13, 1988 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 116-104 | |
| Jan 15, 1988 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 124-105 | |
| Jan 20, 1988 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 120-117 | |
| Jan 22, 1988 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 119-106 | |
| Jan 25, 1988 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 119-96 | |
| Jan 26, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 111-100 | |
| Jan 29, 1988 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 102-100 | |
| Jan 30, 1988 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 115-109 | |
| Feb 01, 1988 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 105-100 | |
| Feb 03, 1988 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 123-91 | |
| Feb 04, 1988 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 126-123 | |
| Feb 09, 1988 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 124-93 | |
| Feb 10, 1988 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 93-80 | |
| Feb 14, 1988 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 107-93 | |
| Feb 15, 1988 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 112-94 | |
| Feb 17, 1988 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 108-103 | |
| Feb 19, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 98-88 | |
| Feb 20, 1988 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 120-103 | |
| Feb 24, 1988 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 123-120 | |
| Feb 26, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 112-105 | |
| Feb 29, 1988 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 115-110 | |
| Mar 01, 1988 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 113-112 | |
| Mar 04, 1988 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 125-110 | |
| Mar 05, 1988 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 125-106 | |
| Mar 07, 1988 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 105-81 | |
| Mar 09, 1988 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 103-98 | |
| Mar 11, 1988 | @ Washington Bullets | W 109-107 | |
| Mar 12, 1988 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-105 | |
| Mar 14, 1988 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 116-115 | |
| Mar 16, 1988 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 120-105 | |
| Mar 18, 1988 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 118-111 | |
| Mar 19, 1988 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 113-110 | |
| Mar 22, 1988 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 103-96 | |
| Mar 24, 1988 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 117-97 | |
| Mar 26, 1988 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 107-105 | |
| Mar 29, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 122-111 | |
| Mar 31, 1988 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 115-92 | |
| Apr 02, 1988 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 106-92 | |
| Apr 05, 1988 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 111-106 | |
| Apr 07, 1988 | @ Houston Rockets | L 113-107 | |
| Apr 08, 1988 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 118-95 | |
| Apr 11, 1988 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 113-102 | |
| Apr 12, 1988 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 100-93 | |
| Apr 14, 1988 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 128-123 | |
| Apr 16, 1988 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 107-82 | |
| Apr 19, 1988 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 129-122 | |
| Apr 20, 1988 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 112-106 | |
| Apr 22, 1988 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 110-109 | |
| Apr 23, 1988 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 125-107 |