Dec. 10 at L.A. Clippers W, 110-102

Dec. 12 vs. Miami W, 110-94

Dec. 14 at Boston L, 112-104

Dec. 15 at New York L, 116-107

Dec. 17 at Philadelphia L, 119-107

Dec. 20 at Cleveland L, 110-94

Dec. 21 at Washington W, 98-82

Dec. 23 at Miami L, 101-80

Dec. 25 vs. L.A. Lakers W, 117-109

By the start of the 1987-88 season, John Stockton and Karl Malone had cemented their futures with the Utah Jazz .

Jerry Sloan?

Not really.

Sloan started the year - his fourth with the Jazz - as head coach Frank Layden's top assistant.

While owner Larry Miller had informally talked to Sloan about eventually succeeding Layden, nobody thought it would happen until at least the end of the season.

Instead, Layden resigned on Dec. 9 - 17 games into the season.

"I was in shock," Sloan said. "Larry had indicated that Frank was going to coach at least the rest of that year so, from my standpoint, I was planning on working for Frank. ... It was a situation I was very comfortable with."

Oddly, Sloan's first game was against Dallas and his former coach, Dick Motta. The Mavericks won, 97-89.

"I was pretty nervous about it," Sloan said. "... It was a long day."

Because he had been unexpectedly fired from his first NBA head coaching job in Chicago, Sloan was concerned about his job security from Day 1, even though then-general manager David Checketts and Layden were big-time boosters.

"One of the things I told him right way is, 'As long as I'm here, you'll be here,' " Layden said. "I told him, 'Don't worry about [being fired] because I know who we are and I know what we are. ... Now go out and win.' "

Still, Sloan couldn't shake his feeling that every day on the job might be his last one.

"I never felt terribly comfortable because I know how volatile this business is," he said. "Players can turn on you. Agents can go after you. Whatever. There are a number of different things that can happen, so I never really felt comfortable. I think that's kind of who I am, really. I never felt comfortable playing. I thought it might end pretty quick. I guess it all kind of goes to my personality."

Said Jazz assistant coach Scott Layden: "Great players and great coaches just think that way. I don't know because I have never been close to being on that level, but I think they put great pressure on themselves."

After losing to Dallas, the Jazz beat the Clippers in Los Angeles and the expansion Miami Heat back in Utah.

On Utah's annual pre-Christmas trip, however, the Jazz went 1-5. Their only win came at Washington on Dec. 21 - the same day a terrorist bomb downed Pan Am Flight 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland.

Again, Sloan wondered about job security.

"We weren't really organized yet and we lost some close games," Sloan said. "... Quite frankly, I wasn't sure we were going to make it through that stage or not."

Sloan's biggest win - at least in his mind - came on Christmas Day.

Two days after losing to the Heat in Miami, the Jazz returned home and beat the Lakers on national television, 117-109.

"After the road trip, I think our players thought I might make things very difficult for them - browbeat them and stuff," Sloan said. "But I didn't and Mark [Eaton] told me later that was important because they knew I wasn't trying to kill them and that I understood NBA Basketball"

Said Thurl Bailey: "It was great for us because they didn't go outside the family [for a new coach]. Jerry knew us and we knew Jerry.

"I remember feeling comfortable with him right away because he had been a player - not just a player but a guy who made his mark in the league. We could relate him, and not only with on-the-court stuff. We felt like we could talk to Jerry about anything."