Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES

Kobe Bryant took the floor for the tipoff, took and made the first shot, a 3-pointer.

He took the second shot, a fade-away jumper for a 5-0 lead. His third try was a miss, clanging off the rim.

Bad back? Not Kobe.

He quickly put to rest any concerns about his ailing back. At least offensively, scoring nine points in a 29-26 first quarter against the Utah Jazz.

Four consecutive times, he allowed Ronnie Brewer to drive to the basket untouched, causing more than a few to wonder about Bryant’s effectiveness on defense.

Still, the Lakers were able to maintain a lead, especially with Vladimir Radmanovic’s outside shot. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Lakers up, 25-16, with 3:30 left in the opening quarter.

The Jazz, eager to take the series back to Utah with the lead, outscored the Lakers, 10-4, in the final three minutes to keep the game close.

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