Swamigp’s Weblog

Deron Williams scored 29 points, 19 in the first half, while dishing 14 assists to help the Utah Jazz even the 7 game series with the Lakers at two apiece, 123-115. Williams, Mehmet Okur and Kyle Korver each scored 4 points in the 5 minute period as the Jazz overcame a strong comeback by the Lakers in regulation to pull out the win. Okur, a great outside shooter, led the Jazz behind Williams in scoring with 18, including three threes, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists for the well rounded Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko, one of many defenders who shut down Kobe Bryant, also had a great offensive game, scoring 15 points, shooting 4-4 from the field while blocking 5 shots on the defensive end.

Ronnie Brewer, shooting guard for Utah, did a very good on the Lakers star, as well as others like Kirilenko. If you can have a bad game scoring 33 points Bryant had it. He shot an abysmal 13-33 from the field, including 1-10 from three land, as well as 6-10 from the line. Lamar Odom scored 26 points behind Bryant and grabbed 13 rebounds. He and guard Derek Fisher, not Kobe, led the Lakers back in the 4th quarter, scoring 10 points apiece, coming back from a 12 point deficit with 4 minutes left. Fisher’s 10 points in the period were on three consecutive possessions for the Lakers, 3 threes and a technical free throw. That run by the Lakers guard got them within four. They got within one on a three point play by Bryant and tied the game on three by Lamar Odom with 54 seconds left in regulation. Carlos Boozer hit two free throws with 33 seconds remaining before Odom tied the game with a put-back off a Bryant miss to force OT.

It was all Jazz in the overtime period as they held Los Angeles scoreless for the first 2 1/2 minutes of the period. As a team they made only 2 field goals in the extra session, by Odom and Bryant. Of course the Jazz only made three, but were more aggressive, making all 9 free throws. Bryant, battling a sore back throughout the game, shot 1-7 in the period. With his MVP skill level, 16 points on 6-19 in the final 29 minutes won’t cut it, and obviously didn’t with the loss. Pau Gasol added 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers shot remarkably well, 46-97 (47%), in spite of Bryant’s horrid shooting.

Carlos Boozer continued to struggle offensively but still scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, shooting just 5-15 from the floor. The Jazz did their damage throughout from the line, outscoring the Lakers by 23, 37-14 from the charity stripe. They were also benefited by the ejection of the Lakers spark plug power forward Rony Turiaf in the second quarter after clubbing Utah guard Ronnie Price on a drive to the hoop. His loss forced the Lakers into a shorthanded position, having to go deep into their bench for little used center DJ Mbenga. Price’s drive and three stitches revitalized the Jazz who had allowed the Lakers back into the game in the second period. Even though the game was tied at halftime, the Jazz had controlled the tempo going into the third. They kept up their game plan, outscoring the Lakers by four, on 11-17 shooting heading into the 4th. Boozer and Okur stepped it up in that period, together scoring 13 points.

Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom combined to score 28 of the teams’ 33 points in the 4th but the comeback wasn’t eventually enough as the Jazz made it a series going back to L.A.