October 28, 1990 – Playing four hours up the road from the Palace of Auburn Hills, Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons found a second home in the Toronto Skydome for their preseason closer (aka the Reebok Pump Challenge). Thomas, fresh off of retina surgery, finished with 33 points but it was Stockton and the Jazz who’d get the last laugh. Alongside scoring 12 of his 23 in the fourth quarter, it was Stockton’s delivery to Jeff Malone for a buzzer-beating jumper that delivered the Jazz their lone preseason victory.
The Skydome, borrowing a court from nearby Copps Coliseum, played a gracious host, vying for the NBA’s attention in hopes of luring a future expansion franchise. The effort paid off. The Toronto Raptors, alongside the Vancouver Grizzlies made their NBA debut at the start of the 1995-96 season.
Special thanks to Adam Ryan, host of the retro NBA podcast In All Airness: https://www.youtube.com/c/AdamRyan
Jeff Malone’s Game-Winner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQnA0hHndww&ab_channel=RyanVanDusen
Thomas’ Full Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so97ERftEhw&ab_channel=RyanVanDusen
17 Comments
Zeek’d up 🥽, thanks for this dope upload 🔥(this channel made me a pistons fan)
Thank you for the upload!
Amazing jewels of basketball you share. Thanks!
It still amazes me why none of these analysts mention Jeff Malone. He was a lethal mid range shooter. Great clip.
Did you post this because of what Gilbert Arenas said? 😂😂😂
Malone crushed Zeke because he schooled Stockton for 44 points
SkyDome used a different configuration compared to when the Raptors played there, years later.
Great game. I thought I have seen all the Stockton and Malone Jazz games but I don't remember this preseason game. Great game-winner by Jeff Malone. Jeff barely ever missed from mid-range. Thanks for the upload.
Should the title be Stockton Drops thomas & the bad girls instead.
His jumpers were so wet
Isiah what defensive presense and his shot oh wow! Stockton with all respect not yet at Thomas level.
Zeke was cooking em!! I don't want to hear that the Pistons wouldn't thrive in this era.
Never was and never will be a fan of the man himself, but he was one hell of a player. Should definitely have been on the dream team instead of Stockton. It's a shame for him that he made so many enemies.
"This is the most violent non-contact sport I've ever seen in my life!" EXACTLY. All those people who complain about the modern game being weak need to hear that! It's a game of finesse – not fisty cuffs!
Skydome basketball! Stockton was great in his own right. But, Isiah…
Isiah was just trying to get his team ready for the season — the issue was chemistry in the half court set and playing as one with the chemistry. Even though the Pistons got off to a 13-2 start by Christmas, they struggled because Chuck Daly said he didn't have enough shots for everyone…so the issue with that is actual moving, passing, and greater diversity in the half court.
Great upload! 👍🏽