John Stockton tied Magic Johnson for an NBA postseason record with 24 assists in a game against Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers. Stockton’s great performance wasn’t enough for his Utah Jazz, as the Lakers won 111-109 at home and took a 3-2 series lead in their second-round matchup.
Stockton finished with 23 points and five steals to go with his 24 assists. Karl Malone had 27 points and 16 rebounds for Utah.
Johnson had 20 points and 13 points for the Lakers. James Worthy scored 27 points and Byron Scott posted 24 points.
The Jazz won Game 6 108-80 at home to force Game 7 but the Lakers won Game 7 109-98 in Los Angeles.
Stockton was spectacular in Game 7, finishing with 29 points, 20 assists and five steals but it wasn’t enough. Karl Malone had 31 points and 15 rebounds. They both played the entire game.
Johnson contributed 23 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds to lead the Lakers to the victory.
The Lakers went on to defeat the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons in seven games each to win the title.
For the Jazz, Stockton averaged 19.5 points, 14.8 assists and 3.4 steals per game. No one else has ever reached the mark set by him and Johnson of 24 assists in a postseason game.
