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SALT LAKE CITY: Carlos Boozer scored 27 points with 20 rebounds
Friday as the Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99 to
climb back into their National Basketball Association playoff
series.
The Jazz rebounded from two defeats in Los
Angeles, narrowing the gap in the best-of-seven Western Conference
second-round series to 2-1.
Boozer delivered his best performance of the
series and Deron Williams added 18 points and 12 assists as the Jazz
took control in the second quarter and held off a late charge by the
Lakers.
In each of the first two games, the Jazz had
fallen behind early and had been unable to get out of the hole.
On Friday, in front of the famously loyal and
loud Utah fans, things were different.
The Jazz contained league Most Valuable Player
Kobe Bryant in the first half and the hot shooting of Williams and
Mehmet Okur let Utah build a double-digit lead.
The Lakers got closer, particularly after Bryant
heated up after one-of-five shooting in the first half, but they
never completely closed the gap.
Even when it looked like the Lakers had put
themselves in position to steal a road game, the Jazz were too much.
Boozer, who failed to establish any offensive
presence for Utah in the first two games, was Utah’s finisher
here.
With three-plus minutes to play, the Lakers cut
the deficit to three, the narrowest margin since the first quarter.
But Boozer went strong to the basket on the
other end and buried a baby hook to put the lead back at five.
The three-time All-Star forward knocked down
mid-range jumpers on the next two possessions to give Utah a
nine-point advantage.
The Lakers hung in, as Luke Walton sank a
three-pointer, Pau Gasol hit a hook shot and Bryant hit a pair of
foul shots to get back to within four.
But even though the Jazz missed three of four
free throw attempts in the final 15 seconds of the game, the Lakers
didn’t have enough.
Okur scored 22 for the Jazz, who were a
league-leading 37-4 at home during the regular season. They will
host Game 4 on Sunday.
-- AFP
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