Lakers hold off Jazz, 109-98

May 4th, 2008, 3:22 pm · Post a Comment · posted by JANIS CARR, OCREGISTER.COM

By JANIS CARR
The Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES

Don’t call this series over yet.
The Lakers held off a late charge Sunday by the Utah Jazz to claim Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, 109-98, at Staples Center.
“We avoided a game in which we could of easily come up on the losing end of the bottom of rebounds and second chances they got out there today,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “We were able to sustain that effort late in the game.
“Maybe it was the fact that we were well-rested that gave us that victory.”
The game turned from a blowout into a near-miss for the Lakers, who seemed primed for a run to another NBA title.
But unlike Denver, which didn’t put up much of a fight in the first round, the Jazz showed they weren’t going to roll over.
The Jazz, which trailed by 13 at the half, closed to within four, 91-87, with 4:44 left in the game. After a timeout, the Lakers resumed their control and pushed their lead back to seven, 94-87.
Still, the game wasn’t over. With Carlos Boozer on the bench having picked up his sixth foul with 3:28 left, the Jazz continued to push the Lakers and cut the lead to five with 2:39 left.
The Jazz seemed to have an answer for every Lakers player except Kobe Bryant, who finished with a game-high 38 points. Utah also had trouble containing Pau Gasol, who scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Lamar Odom chipped in another 16 points.
The Jazz outrebounded the Lakers, 58-41, which helped keep them in the game with 26 second-chance points.
The game was a one-sided affair the first half with the Lakers dominating everything except the boards. They led, 54-41, behind Bryant’s 24 first-half points.
But the Jazz, who wrapped up their first-round series against Houston on Friday, came out after intermission with an energy that was missing in the first 24 minutes. They slowed Bryant, forced the Lakers into turnovers and fouls and controlled the boards.
“I think it’s a good lesson for us,” Jackson said. “(Of) what kind of game they play and how they play it and to really see the strength of what their team is about.”

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