Utah beat Detroit 81-79 today in a great game. Although some pundits were predicting a blowout, the two teams delivered a memorable game that left the fans on the edges of their seats until the very end. "It's one of those games that nobody should have to lose," said Utah coach Coach Young. "I'm definitely glad it wasn't us."

Detroit coach David Smith will be rethinking some of his choices for some time. "I thought we tried the right things at the right times, but of course hindsight is perfect. Obviously not everything we did worked, though, and in a game like this that could have made the difference."

Utah was led by Perkins (28 points, 2 assists, 4 blocks), Robinson (17 points, 6 boards, 1 assists, a block), Patton (13 points, 2 assists). Detroit was led by Henderson (18 points, 8 boards, 0 assists, 2 blocks), Kay (16 points, 5 boards, 1 assists, a steal), Fox (7 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals).

Utah stand at 33-10. They remain at #1 in the Northwest and hold at #3 overall in the Western Conference. Detroit are now 35-10 and 19-5 at home. They stay at #1 in the Central and stay at #1 overall in the Eastern Conference.

box score Utah* roster Detroit* roster