Kobe Bryant scores 13 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and Pau Gasol finishes with 25 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots in a 104-99 victory over Utah.
Game 1 (Final) Lakers 104, Jazz 99 Is Kobe Bryant back to form?You would be hard-pressed to dispute that contention as he took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of the Lakers' 23 points to give the Lakers a 104-99 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Lakers now hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal playoff series.
The next game is Tuesday night at the Staples Center.The Lakers looked dominant for most of the game until the Jazz rallied with a 10-1 run at the start of the fourth quarter. At one point, the Jazz had a three-point lead.
But the Lakers were able to wear them down, mostly behind the leadership and shooting of Bryant, who scored 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and a perfect seven of seven from the free-throw line.Pau Gasol also had a good game for the Lakers with 25 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shot. Derek Fisher had 10 points, four assists and a game-high five steals, while Lamar Odom finished with nine points and 12 rebounds.Deron Williams led the Jazz with 24 points and eight assists, followed by Carlos Boozer with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Both C.J. Miles and Paul Millsap had 16 points.
Laker Coach Phil Jackson recognized that the game was slipping from his team's control and that they needed to regain their advantage."We found a way to get the momentum back in the last six minutes of the game. . . . I thought our bench really let us down [at the start of the] fourth quarter. The types of shots they gave up and the charge they gave us."But Jackson did not think he stuck with the secondary players too long."Absolutely not," he said when asked if he kept the reserves in too long.
"You have to give them some confidence. I wanted to give them an opportunity to right themselves."Of course, Jackson was quick to give praise to Bryant."I thought he put [the game] on his shoulders. He got into some foul trouble and had to spend some time on the bench and we had to get him back in the game."Meanwhile, Gasol said the team took some energy and momentum from the Oklahoma City series, which ended on Friday.He also credited the team's size advantage.
"It's important to us," Gasol said. "We use it to our advantage and I think we're doing better at it."Game 1 (Fourth quarter, 2:26): Lakers 100, Jazz 95Before a timeout, Derek Fisher was assessed a charging foul and the Jazz had a chance to regain the lead with a little more than two minutes to play. But the Jazz missed, followed by a Laker miss and another Jazz miss, and the Lakers were looking to up their advantage.Of course, that's where Kobe Bryant stepped up and made a two -- giving him 27 points -- and the Lakers were up by three. On the next possession, Lamar Odom fouled Deron Williams and he made both free throws to make it a one-point game again.Down the court, Bryant missed a fade away but Odom got the put-back and the Lakers' lead was three. After a takeaway, the Lakers drove down the court, with Bryant taking the ball down the lane for a hanging layup, and the Lakers had a five-point lead.
The next game is Tuesday night at the Staples Center.The Lakers looked dominant for most of the game until the Jazz rallied with a 10-1 run at the start of the fourth quarter. At one point, the Jazz had a three-point lead.
But the Lakers were able to wear them down, mostly behind the leadership and shooting of Bryant, who scored 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and a perfect seven of seven from the free-throw line.Pau Gasol also had a good game for the Lakers with 25 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shot. Derek Fisher had 10 points, four assists and a game-high five steals, while Lamar Odom finished with nine points and 12 rebounds.Deron Williams led the Jazz with 24 points and eight assists, followed by Carlos Boozer with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Both C.J. Miles and Paul Millsap had 16 points.
Laker Coach Phil Jackson recognized that the game was slipping from his team's control and that they needed to regain their advantage."We found a way to get the momentum back in the last six minutes of the game. . . . I thought our bench really let us down [at the start of the] fourth quarter. The types of shots they gave up and the charge they gave us."But Jackson did not think he stuck with the secondary players too long."Absolutely not," he said when asked if he kept the reserves in too long.
"You have to give them some confidence. I wanted to give them an opportunity to right themselves."Of course, Jackson was quick to give praise to Bryant."I thought he put [the game] on his shoulders. He got into some foul trouble and had to spend some time on the bench and we had to get him back in the game."Meanwhile, Gasol said the team took some energy and momentum from the Oklahoma City series, which ended on Friday.He also credited the team's size advantage.
"It's important to us," Gasol said. "We use it to our advantage and I think we're doing better at it."Game 1 (Fourth quarter, 2:26): Lakers 100, Jazz 95Before a timeout, Derek Fisher was assessed a charging foul and the Jazz had a chance to regain the lead with a little more than two minutes to play. But the Jazz missed, followed by a Laker miss and another Jazz miss, and the Lakers were looking to up their advantage.Of course, that's where Kobe Bryant stepped up and made a two -- giving him 27 points -- and the Lakers were up by three. On the next possession, Lamar Odom fouled Deron Williams and he made both free throws to make it a one-point game again.Down the court, Bryant missed a fade away but Odom got the put-back and the Lakers' lead was three. After a takeaway, the Lakers drove down the court, with Bryant taking the ball down the lane for a hanging layup, and the Lakers had a five-point lead.
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