LakersFanWeb | 2009 Playoff Central

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2009 Playoff Central

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CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE: LAKERS RUN LA

Bryant's seven-year chase of a coveted championship is over. He's got his fourth, and Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson his record 10th, a ring for each finger. One year after failing in the finals, Bryant and the Lakers have redemption, and all the rewards that go with it.

Round Four (NBA Finals) - Orlando Magic

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS MAGIC

GAME 5: LAKERS WIN 15th NBA TITLE

Bryant, Lakers reign once more, 2009 NBA CHAMPIONS!

The Lakers used a huge 16-0 run in the second quarter to take control of Game 5 and never looked back from there, beating the Orlando Magic 99-86 to capture the franchise's 15th NBA Championship. Kobe Bryant led the way with 30-points.

ORLANDO, Fla.(AP) Kobe Bryant has the NBA title he needed most - the one without Shaq.

They earned their 15th title on Sunday night as Bryant scored 30 points and Pau Gasol added 14 and 15 rebounds in a 99-86 win in Game 5 over the Orlando Magic, who ran out of comebacks.

It took longer than Bryant expected, but he has stepped out of former teammate Shaquille O'Neal's enormous shadow - at last. His fourth championship secured a strong case can be made for Bryant being the league's best player since Michael Jordan hung up his sneakers.

His coach stands alone.

Jackson, the chilled-out, bow-legged Zen Master who won six league titles in the 1990s with Jordan in Chicago, now has won No. 4 with Los Angeles and broke a tie with legendary Boston coach Red Auerbach as the winningest coach in finals history.

"I'll smoke the cigar tonight in memory of Red,'' Jackson said. "He was a great guy.''

Bryant and Jackson, whose relationship strained and briefly snapped under the weight of success, are again at the top of their games.

Together.

Nothing was going to stop Bryant, who spent the postseason scowling, snarling, baring his teeth and all but breathing fire at anything in his path. For weeks, the All-Star has worn his game face, and only when the victory was his in the final seconds did the finals MVP allow himself to smile.

After the final horn, he leaped into the air and was quickly engulfed by his teammates, who bounced around the floor of Amway Arena. Bryant then gave a long, heartfelt hug and shared a few words with Jackson before sweeping up his daughters, both wearing gold Lakers dresses, into his arms.

Bryant had come up short twice in the finals before, in 2004 with O'Neal against Detroit, and again last season against the Celtics in the renewal of the league's best rivalry. The Lakers were beaten in six games, losing the finale in Boston by 39 points, a humiliating beatdown that Bryant and his teammates had trouble shaking.

They went to training camp with one goal in mind. This was going to be their season, and except for a few minor missteps, it was.

"It's so tough to win championships,'' Bryant said. "We started over from scratch. Here we are again. This really feels like a dream.''

After beating Utah in the first round, Los Angeles was forced to go seven games against Houston, which lost center Yao Ming to an injury. The Lakers then took care of Denver in six games, setting up a matchup with the shoot-from-their-hips Magic, who made their first visit to the finals since O'Neal took them there in 1995.

Orlando will be haunted by moments in a series that swung on a few plays and had two overtime games.

After losing Game 1 by 25 points, the Magic had their chance in Game 2 but rookie Courtney Lee missed an alley-oop layup in the final second of regulation. In Game 4, Dwight Howard clanged two free throws with 11.1 seconds, and the Magic allowed Derek Fisher to nail a game-tying 3-pointer to force OT.

Howard, the Magic's super hero center, was hardly a factor in Game 5. He scored 11 points, took just nine shots and never got a chance to get going. Rashard Lewis scored 18 points, but was only 3 of 12 on 3s for Orlando, which after living on the 3, finally died by it.

The Magic went just 8 of 27 from long range.

Orlando was trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals. They had rallied to knock off Philadelphia and Boston, and then upset LeBron James and Cleveland in the conference finals. The Magic always felt they had a shot at history.

Bryant, though, wouldn't be denied his place.

As teammates, Bryant and O'Neal were nearly unbeatable on the court. Off it, there were problems.

The pair won three straight titles together from 2000-02, but the Bryant-O'Neal dynasty became dysfunctional as both fought for control with Jackson publicly siding with his All-Star center. It all eventually crumbled in 2004 when O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat.

Bryant was blamed for the breakup, and as the years passed, his many critics said he couldn't win one by himself. He couldn't, but the addition of Gasol, who came over in a stunning trade from Memphis last season, filled O'Neal's massive void at center and gave Bryant help.

Fisher, who has four rings himself, came back to L.A. after stints in Golden State and Utah and became a steadying force. If not for his two key 3-pointers in Game 4, this series would still be going.

The Lakers were anything but The Kobe Show.

They got help from their entire roster as Odom, Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum, who missed most of last season and the playoffs with a knee injury, came through.

And even O'Neal, now with the Phoenix Suns, was glad to see the Lakers finish the job.

"Congratulations kobe, u deserve it,'' O'Neal said on Twitter page. "You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.''

MR. BIG SHOT

GAME 4: LAKERS WIN GAME 4 IN OT

The Lakers fought back from a 12-point halfitme deficit to take Game 4 of the NBA Finals and grab a 3-1 series lead over the Orlando Magic. Derek Fisher hit two huge three-pointers down the stretch to seal the deal for LA.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Kobe Bryant is one win from an NBA title to call his own. Derek Fisher got him there. Fisher forced overtime with a 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation and then drilled another one with 31.3 seconds to go in overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Orlando Magic 99-91 in Game 4 on Thursday night to open a 3-1 lead in the NBA finals.

It was the first time since 1984, when Magic Johnson's Lakers and Larry Bird's Celtics hooked up, that two games in a finals have gone to overtime.

When the clock expired, Bryant, trying to win his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal, looked at Tiger Woods and wiped sweat from his brow in relief. Fisher, who has bailed out the Lakers in plenty of big games before, thrust both arms in the air in triumph.

The Lakers can wrap up their 15th title on Sunday night in Game 5.

Bryant finished with 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Trevor Ariza and Pau Gasol each had 16 for Los Angeles, which came back from a 12-point halftime deficit. Ariza had 13 of the Lakers' 30 points in the third quarter.

The Lakers are 7-0 following a loss in this postseason.

Unless they can force a Game 6, the Magic will remember this as another finals game that got away.

Dwight Howard was magnificent everywhere but at the free-throw line. Orlando's superman of a center had 16 points, 21 rebounds and a finals-record nine blocks. But he made just 6 of 14 foul shots, and it was his two crucial misses with 11.1 seconds to go in regulation that doomed the Magic.

First, Fisher, who has made a career of hitting memorable shots in clutch situations, pulled up and without hesitating dropped a 3-pointer over Orlando's Jameer Nelson with 4.6 seconds left to tie it 87-87. The shot stunned the Magic's maniacal crowd, which was hoping the home team could win its second straight finals game after dropping its first six.

"I was just going to take over and kind of survey the situation but Nelson was giving me a lot of space and I like to step into those 3s," Fisher said. "Even though I wasn't making them, I felt like I could do that. I felt good to help the team that way."

Fisher had missed his first five 3s, but came up with one the little left-hander will cherish forever.

"My teammates and my coaches kept giving me that confidence to continue to believe in myself," Fisher said. "I wanted to come through for the guys."

Just as they did in Game 2, Orlando had one final try, and this time guard Courtney Lee, who misfired on a tougher-than-it-looked layup in that loss, wasn't on the floor. The Magic inbounded the ball to Mickael Pietrus, but his long and contested jumper was off.

Bryant scored two quick baskets in the overtime, and Howard tied it when he split two free throws with 1:27 remaining.

On L.A.'s next trip, Ariza grabbed his own miss to get another 24 seconds and Fisher lined up and drilled his 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 94-91.

As he retreated down court and Orlando called a timeout, the Lakers bench stormed onto the court and surrounded the popular 34-year-old Fisher, who came back to the team after a short stint in Utah.

Round Three (West Finals) - Denver Nuggets

LAKERS CAN'T STRIKE GOLD YET

GAME 4: NUGGETS EVEN SERIES AT 2-2

The Denver Nuggets controlled the boards in Game 4 as they defeated the Lakers, 120-101, on Memorial Day at Pepsi Center. J.R. Smith had 24-points for the Nuggets off the bench. The series returns to LA knotted at two-games a piece.

DENVER(AP) The Denver Nuggets evened the Western Conference finals Monday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 120-101 in Game 4 despite a hobbled Carmelo Anthony.

Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith scored 24 points and Kenyon Martin posted a double-double as the Nuggets posted their eighth blowout of the postseason but first against Los Angeles following three games that came down to the final seconds.

The Nuggets didn't need to worry about a botched inbounds pass in the closing seconds like the ones that cost them wins in Games 1 and 3, although Kobe Bryant had another monster fourth quarter in a furious attempt to put a stranglehold on the series that shifts to Los Angeles for Game 5 Wednesday night.

Bryant, who is averaging 37 points in the series, scored 34, including 14 in the fourth quarter.

He put a scare into the Nuggets and their fans until Smith hit back-to-back dagger 3-pointers for a 113-96 cushion.

Anthony finished with a hard-fought 15 points, and Martin had 13 points and 15 boards.

The game featured four technical fouls and 84 free throws, 49 by Denver.

'Melo's shooting slump continued as he went 3-for-16 and missed his first 10 shots. Making matters worse, he turned his right ankle in the first half. At the break, he needed fluids and had his ankle retaped, then returned with a dogged determination to help the Nuggets however he could to pull even in the series.

Bryant and Pau Gasol (21 points) kept the Lakers within striking distance. The Lakers cut a 16-point deficit to 102-92 on four Bryant free throws with 3:49 left thanks to technicals on Martin and Anthony.

The Nuggets relied on a balanced attack with Anthony ailing - seven players scored in double digits - and while they still weren't very good from the floor (44 percent), they did work the ball around for better looks, attacked the lane more and got to the line. This accomplished exactly what all those misfirings couldn't in Game 3 - energize the Pepsi Center crowd.

The Nuggets, who haven't lost back-to-back home games all season, were coming off their first loss in the Mile High City since March 9. They knew they blew a golden opportunity 48 hours earlier by trying for the dagger and misfiring on 22 of 27 3-pointers - and after three of the conversions, they gave back a point with technical free throws, no less.

"So, we were really 2-for-27,'' Nuggets coach George Karl cracked before tip-off.

This time, they shot 7-for-24 from 3-point range. One of them was Billups' pull-up 3 after a steal by Smith that gave Denver an 83-70 lead with 10 minutes to go.

Here’s the schedule for the Lakers’ Western Conference Finals matchup with the Denver Nuggets. Game 1 is Tuesday at 6pm.

Round Two - Houston Rockets

FORGET THE TACOS, WE WANT NUGGETS

GAME 7: LAKERS CRUISE TO GAME 7 WIN

Pau Gasol had 21 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Lakers' frontcourt dominance in a 89-70 Game 7 victory Sunday over the Houston Rockets.

LOS ANGELES(AP) Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers emphatically silenced the doubters and the Houston Rockets, winning Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals 89-70 on Sunday.

With Gasol scoring 21 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, the Lakers looked like the conference's top-seeded team, not the maddeningly inconsistent one that was pushed to the decisive final game by the undermanned Rockets.

The Lakers dominated the paint on both ends, forcing the Rockets into turnovers and bad shots, and owning the backboards. They had an 8-0 lead a few minutes in and widened it to 25 points on Gasol's jump hook shortly before halftime.

The Lakers, trying to reach the NBA finals for the second straight year, host the opener of the conference finals against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.

Gasol left to a nice ovation with 3:34 remaining in the game.

Trevor Ariza scored 15 points while Bryant and Andrew Bynum 14 apiece. Bryant added five assists and seven rebounds.

Aaron Brooks scored 13 and Luis Scola 11 for Houston. Ron Artest (seven points) and Shane Battier (three) were non-factors.

The Lakers have been so up and down in this series that coach Phil Jackson said before Game 5 that they had a little bit of Jekyll and Hyde in them. That was the night the Lakers raced to a 40-point win at home, only to follow it by getting blind-sided a second straight game in Houston, losing two nights later by 15.

Using home-court advantage to the fullest, the Lakers made sure they weren't going to choke this one away against the No. 5 seed.

This one was practically over before the fans settled into their seats.

Los Angeles used two Houston turnovers and a blocked shot in racing to an 8-0 lead. Gasol blocked a shot by Scola and fed Bryant for a layup. Scola's turnover led to Ariza's tip-in of Gasol's miss. A turnover by Brooks set up Ariza's 3-pointer, forcing Houston to call timeout with 9:32 to go in the quarter.

Houston missed seven shots during the next 2 1/2 minutes, and didn't get on the scoreboard until Brooks made two free throws just more than five minutes in.

During one sequence, Odom blocked a shot by Brooks, Bryant ended up with the ball and whipped a crosscourt pass to Ariza for a 3-pointer and a 13-2 lead.

It wasn't until then that the Rockets made their first basket, a layup by Chuck Hayes.

Houston made only 5 of 20 shots in the first quarter, while the Lakers had 17 rebounds, including 12 on defense.

The Lakers were up 22-12 at the end of the first quarter and steadily pulled away.

Leading by 19, the Lakers scored six straight late in the quarter. Bryant stole a pass and fed Ariza for a slam dunk, bringing Jack Nicholson out of his courtside seat. Bryant made two free throws and Odom fed Gasol for a jump hook that gave Los Angeles a 51-26 lead.

It was 51-31 at halftime.

Notes: The team leading after the first quarter has won all 13 of Houston's postseason games. ... Bynum started at center for the Lakers. Odom, still nursing a bruised lower back, replaced Bynum during a timeout late in the first quarter. ... Perhaps in a sign of pre-game jitters, Scola was being filmed by a TV cameraman in the locker room and put on his jersey backward.

GAME 6: LAKERS LOSE, GAME 7 SUNDAY

The Lakers failed to close it out in Houston as the Rockets took the victory to force a Game 7.

The Rockets took control of the game early and withstood the Lakers runs to take Game 6 95-80 in Houston on Thursday night. Kobe Bryant finished with 32-points and Pau Gasol added 14, but it wasn't enough. Game 7 is Sunday at 12:30pm on ABC.

HOUSTON(AP) The Houston Rockets came up with one more stunning victory to set up a final showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Aaron Brooks scored 26 points, Luis Scola added 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the scrappy, undermanned Rockets pushed the top-seeded Lakers to the brink in their Western Conference semifinal series with a 95-80 win in Game 6 on Thursday night.

Reserve Carl Landry scored 15 as the Rockets built another huge lead in the first half, then fought off a Lakers rally to force Game 7 on Sunday at the Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant scored 32 and Pau Gasol added 14 for Los Angeles, which lost for only the third time in the last 18 games when it has a chance to close out a series.

The Lakers have one more opportunity to finish off Houston, but they probably didn't expect to need it, three games after Yao Ming exited the series with a broken left foot.

"We still have no chance,'' Brooks said with a huge smile. "We'll keep playing, though.''

The winner will play the Denver Nuggets, who finished off Dallas on Wednesday night and now have a few extra days to rest.

Ron Artest pumped his fist and Scola embraced Brooks near midcourt as the final buzzer sounded and the Lakers walked off the court with their heads down.

Los Angeles won Game 5 by 40 points, matching Houston's worst playoff loss.

The Rockets came out dominant instead of demoralized on Thursday night. They put together a near carbon copy of the first half of Game 4, when they seemed to hit every open shot, smothered the Lakers on defense and built an 18-point halftime lead.

Bryant missed a halfcourt shot at the halftime buzzer in this one and angrily shook his head as he stormed off the court. The Rockets led 52-36 at the break - one basket shy of the halftime score in Game 4.

On Sunday, Houston stretched its lead to 29 and cruised to a 99-87 win. This time, the Lakers made a game of it, opening the second half with a 16-2 spurt.

But Landry converted a three-point play to break the Lakers' momentum and Brooks sank a 3-pointer to help Houston rebuild its lead.

The Rockets hit their last eight shots in the third quarter and took a 75-65 lead to the fourth. Landry drove down the lane for a one-handed dunk with 6:56 left to put Houston up 81-71 and Bryant checked in after a long rest.

But Bryant missed four of his next six shots and Brooks scored eight points over the next five minutes to secure another surprise over the Western Conference's top seed.

"We got active again against Kobe. He's going to make some shots. We toughed it out in the fourth quarter,'' Brooks said.

The Lakers outrebounded Houston 45-39, but the Rockets scored 40 points in the paint and held Los Angeles to 36 percent shooting (30-for-84). The Lakers went only 5-for-23 from 3-point range.

Houston opened the game with a 17-1 burst, electrifying another red-clad capacity crowd at the Toyota Center.

Bryant made the Lakers' first field goal near the 6-minute mark, but Scola put in another short jumper to make it 19-3 - one point better than Houston's opening run in Game 4.

Artest got a nice pass from Chuck Hayes and muscled inside for a layup to make it 21-3. The Lakers missed 14 of 20 shots in the quarter and trailed 27-15.

Shane Battier and Artest sank 3-pointers early in the second quarter, another good sign for Houston. The Rockets made 10 3-pointers in their Game 4 victory, but only five in Game 5.

Von Wafer, averaging only 6.6 points in the series, sank a 3 with 5:51 left in the half to put Houston ahead 42-25 and force Lakers coach Phil Jackson to use a timeout.

But Houston stayed in control and Bryant's frustration boiled over near the 2-minute mark.

With Artest blanketing him near midcourt, Bryant appeared to shove Artest and earned a technical foul. The temperamental Artest, ejected from Games 2 and 3, ran away to avoid a confrontation and Brooks sank the free throw for a 47-31 Houston lead.

Notes: The Rockets have won 11 of their last 12 home games. ... The team winning after the first quarter has won all 12 of Houston's postseason games. ... Artest missed Thursday morning's shootaround with an illness, but Houston coach Rick Adelman said an hour before the game that Artest felt fine. ... The Lakers are 30-4 all-time in seven-game series when they have a 3-2 lead.

GAME 5: 40 GAMES, 40 NIGHTS, 40 POINTS

LA took a 3-2 series lead with a 40-point victory over the Houston Rockets at STAPLES Center Tuesday night.

LOS ANGELES(AP) Kobe Bryant needed only three quarters to score 26 points and the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from their Game 4 flop, routing the Houston Rockets 118-78 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

The top-seeded Lakers did everything they didn't do in Sunday's 99-87 loss at Houston - hustled, rebounded and played tight defense on Houston's smaller lineup, keeping Aaron Brooks in check and limiting wide-open shots.

On Sunday the Lakers trailed by 29 points. On Tuesday night, they had a 29-point lead by late in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Bryant, who led seven Lakers in double figures.

The Lakers can wrap up the series Thursday night in Houston.

Bryant looked more like himself after being held to 15 points on Sunday. With the Lakers far ahead after holding the Rockets to only 15 points in each of the second and third quarters, he sat out the fourth period.

Pau Gasol had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Andrew Bynum 14 points, Trevor Ariza 13 and Jordan Farmar 12. Lamar Odom and Josh Powell had 10 apiece.

Brooks was held to 14 points after scoring a career-high 34 on Sunday. Ron Artest had a horrible night shooting, 4-of-15 for nine points. The Rockets shot only 32 percent.

The Lakers fell behind by six points midway through the first quarter, but it didn't take them long to answer the question of whether they'd show up.

Los Angeles gained control by outscoring Houston 23-6 during the final six minutes of the first quarter. Bryant had eight points, making three straight shots at one point. Odom sank a 3-pointer and Farmar another 3 at the buzzer for a 35-24 lead.

With Bryant sitting out at the start of the second quarter, the Lakers didn't lose any of their intensity, going on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 43-24. Gasol made a hook shot and two free throws, Odom made two free throws and Sasha Vujacic blocked a shot by Von Wafer, raced down the court and took a pass from Gasol for a slam dunk.

With Houston going cold, the Lakers piled it on, taking a 64-35 lead on Bryant's 3-pointer with 1:31 before halftime. It was 64-39 at the break.

Notes: Odom didn't start, but entered the game late in the first quarter in place of Bynum. Odom had been listed as questionable with a bruised back, the result of taking a hard fall on Sunday. ... Luke Walton had six rebounds off the bench for the Lakers. ... Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea played the national anthem. He didn't remove his black hat.

GAME 4: YAO-LESS ROCKETS EVEN SERIES AT 2

The Lakers came out flat Sunday afternoon in Houston and never recovered as the Rockets took the lead wire-to-wire and beat LA 99-87 to even their semi-finals playoff series at two games a piece. Game 5 will be in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

HOUSTON(AP) The Houston Rockets not only beat the Los Angeles Lakers without Yao Ming, they made it look easy.

Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34, Shane Battier sank five 3-pointers and added 23 and the Houston Rockets routed the Los Angeles Lakers 99-87 on Sunday to even their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece.

Luis Scola had 11 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets got exactly the team effort they needed after Yao broke his left foot in the Lakers' win in Game 3.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and anyone who thought the Rockets were finished without their best player only needed to watch the first few minutes on Sunday, when Houston built a 22-7 lead.

Pau Gasol scored 30 points and Kobe Bryant had a quiet 15 for Los Angeles.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson warned his team about taking the Rockets too lightly after hearing about Yao's injury. But the Lakers looked lethargic from the start, giving away careless turnovers and playing lax defense.

The Rockets opened the game with a 22-7 run, starting 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Bryant scored the Lakers' first three baskets, but the rest of the team missed its first seven shots.

Houston led 54-36 at the break. The Lakers grabbed only two offensive rebounds and generated only four fast-break points in their lowest-scoring half of the season. Battier had 15 points at halftime, two more than Bryant.

The Rockets outscored Los Angeles 29-18 in the decisive third quarter, led by Brooks' 17 points. The speedy, 6-foot guard finished the quarter by catching a midcourt pass by Ron Artest and putting in a layup just before the buzzer.

Lamar Odom, who scored 16 points in Game 3, drove into Battier and was called for a charge midway through the quarter. He hit the floor hard, limped to the bench and went to the locker room with back spasms. He did not return.

And when Brooks completed the last-second alley-oop, Artest smacked his hands on the scorers' table and smiled to the roaring crowd, in seeming disbelief about the way things were going.

Artest scored only eight points, but had 10 rebounds and six assists.

Bryant returned from a long rest with 5:41 left in the game and the Lakers cut the deficit to 10. But it was too late by then and Brooks fittingly scored Houston's last two points on free throws in the final minute.

Notes: Scola recorded his fifth career postseason double-double. ... Bryant was held under 30 points for the first time in four games at the Toyota Center this season. ... Artest sported a new mohawk hairdo, similar to the one he had before the series began. This time, 'Houston' was shaved on one side and a Rockets' logo adorned the other side.

GAME 3: Lakers beat Rockets 108-94 to take 2-1 series lead

HOUSTON(AP) Kobe Bryant scored 33 points and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series with a 108-94 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.

Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar had 12 points and seven assists in place of the suspended Derek Fisher, who was ejected from Game 2 for a hard hit on Luis Scola when he set a pick.

Game 3 had no signs of the rough play that turned testy in Game 2 until the final minute, when Houston's Ron Artest was ejected for a hard foul on Pau Gasol. Artest was ejected from Game 2 for a verbal altercation with Bryant following Bryant's elbow to Artest's upper chest.

"I don't think that was a flagrant, maybe a flagrant one,'' Bryant said of Artest's ejection. "That rule is so all over the place, it's hard to judge. I'm an '80s baby, so that's just two shots and let's go.''

Artest had 25 points and Yao Ming added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Rockets but he was bothered by a lower left leg injury in the final minutes and was limping as he left the court.

The Lakers snapped the Rockets' nine-game home winning streak.

Game 4 is Sunday in Houston.

The Rockets trailed 50-48 at halftime, then missed 15 of their first 19 shots in the third quarter.

"We had to get stops,'' Bryant said. "When they started desperation plays we were not able to get stops. In the third quarter and into the fourth quarter, we started to get stops and it sustained us.''

Bryant had a quiet third quarter until the final 3 seconds, when he took an inbounds pass, dribbled away from Artest and swished a straight-on 33-footer at the buzzer to give the Lakers a 74-62 lead. He struck a frozen pose at midcourt after another signature shot, silencing the capacity crowd that booed him every time he touched the ball.

"I missed some easy shots at the rim, they just didn't go down for me,'' Bryant said. "I had to pull the string on that 3-pointer.''

Early in the fourth quarter, Houston's Von Wafer jumped into Sasha Vujacic on a 3-point try and hit the floor. Players from both teams rushed over, but Wafer defused a potential confrontation by walking away. Wafer made three free throws to cut Houston's deficit to 81-71.

Artest muscled inside for a layup and Yao dunked to pull the Rockets within 90-84 by the 4-minute mark. Farmar sank a baseline jumper with 3:54 to boost the lead back to eight.

Yao missed a baseline shot with 3 minutes left and Bryant beat the shot clock with another 3 with 2:21 left for a 95-84 that virtually put it away.

Los Angeles pushed the tempo from the start.

Odom dunked an alley-oop pass from Trevor Ariza 9 seconds into the game and Bryant hit a 3-pointer a minute later to pass Larry Bird and move into sixth place on the all-time postseason scoring list.

Los Angeles led 30-28 heading to the second quarter, notable because the team leading after the first period had won all of Houston's eight previous playoff games.

The first sign of the chippy play that marred Game 2 came midway through the second quarter, when Luke Walton was called for a technical foul for nonchalantly kicking the ball after knocking down Kyle Lowry.

Bryant went 5 for 6 from the field and had 11 points in the first quarter, then missed six of seven shots in the second. The Rockets slowed the pace, got to the free-throw line more and took a 46-43 lead.

But Houston had 11 turnovers in the first half - two in the final 90 seconds - and the Lakers were up two at the half.

Notes: The Rockets had a 56-43 edge in rebounding. ... Yao recorded his sixth straight double-double. ... Bryant has 3,928 career points in the postseason. Former Laker Jerry West is ahead of him on the list with 4,457. ... Rockets G Tracy McGrady, who had season-ending surgery on his left knee on Feb. 24, sat on the bench.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

GAME 2: akers beat Rockets 111-98 to even playoff series

LOS ANGELES(AP) Another rough-and-tumble game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets turned bloody. This time, though, the Lakers defended their home court.

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds and the Lakers won Game 2 111-98 on Wednesday night to even the Western Conference semifinal series.

Ron Artest, one of two players ejected in the game, scored 25 points and Carl Landry added a career playoff-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half only to trail most of the second half.

Game 3 is Friday night in Houston.

Houston's Yao Ming finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds after picking up three fouls in the first half.

Emotions boiled over in the second half, with Derek Fisher of the Lakers and Artest getting ejected and technical fouls assessed to Bryant, Artest, Luis Scola, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom, who had 11 rebounds.

"It's the playoffs,'' Bryant said, "this is what it's about.''

Artest was sent off the court by referee Joe Crawford with 6:57 remaining in the game after he pointed across the court at Bryant and made a gesture near his throat. Artest complained that he was elbowed in the throat by Bryant under the basket.

"We are playing basketball, there is a lot of contact taking place,'' Bryant said. "If you are going to be physical you have to expect to get physical back.''

The final 30 seconds of the third quarter turned into a foul fest. Scola and teammates Odom and Walton all were hit with technicals after they jawed at the Lakers' end of the court.

Moments later, Fisher was called for a flagrant foul when he collided with Scola as the Rockets brought the ball up the court.

Scola fell to the court and Fisher received a bloody cut on his head near his right ear. Scola made both free throws and Houston retained possession.

There was sideline drama, too. Houston's Von Wafer was escorted to the locker room at the end of the third quarter after he was seen exchanging words with coach Rick Adelman.

Blood ran in Monday's series opener, won by the Rockets. Houston's Shane Battier had blood streaming down the left side of his face after catching an inadvertent elbow from Sasha Vujacic.

"Right from the opening tip we wanted to be aggressive, get after it a bit,'' Bryant said. "We are being tested and this is fun.''

In between the whistles and walkoffs, there was basketball.

The Lakers opened the fourth quarter on a 13-9 run that pushed their lead to 99-86. The Rockets closed to 99-90 on a 3-pointer by Aaron Brooks, but Bryant scored five straight points and Houston didn't threaten again.

Tied at halftime, the Lakers outscored the Rockets 16-4 to take a 73-62 lead midway through the third quarter. Los Angeles made 7 of 9 free throws down the stretch and extended its lead to 86-77 entering the final 12 minutes.

Led by Landry's 16 points, the Rockets' reserves clobbered the Lakers' bench in the second quarter and erased all of the 14-point deficit. Houston took its first lead of the game, 49-48, on a 14-foot jumper by Artest that capped a 10-0 run.

Wafer added five points and Chuck Hayes two as Houston led by four points late in the period. But Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining to pull the Lakers into a halftime tie at 57.

The Lakers shot 73 percent from the field in the first quarter, streaking to a 39-25 lead. Bryant had 15 points - including a 22-footer to beat the final buzzer - and Gasol added 13. The Rockets made 10 of 18 shots but never led.

Notes: The Lakers are 25-12 all-time when splitting the first two games of any best-of-7 series. ... Odom replaced C Andrew Bynum in the Lakers' starting lineup. Bynum was scoreless with one rebound in 8 minutes. ... Celebrities in the crowd included Jack Nicholson, Glenn Frey, Adam Levine, Andy Garcia and Dustin Hoffman, who spit popcorn out of his mouth to smooch his wife Lisa when the arena's kiss cam landed on them.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

GAME 1: Yao, Rockets beat Lakers in physical Game 1

LOS ANGELES(AP) Blood flowed, players were sprawled on the court and the Houston Rockets came into Staples Center and outmuscled Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Yao Ming, who briefly left with a knee injury in the closing minutes, had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a physical 100-92 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Ron Artest added 21 points and Aaron Brooks had 19 for the Rockets, who are in the second round since 1997.

Bryant, who finished a distant second to LeBron James in NBA MVP voting announced earlier Monday, scored 32 points, doing his best to keep the Lakers in the game despite missing practice on Sunday with a sore throat. He scored 22 of the Lakers' final 42 points.

Houston forward Shane Battier needed four stitches to close a gash over his left eye late in the first quarter.

Although the Rockets took the brunt of the hits, Yao was too much for the Lakers. The Rockets were much livelier on offense and wrested away homecourt advantage from the top-seeded Lakers.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Bryant drove on Yao in the key and the two collided, with Yao falling to the court. Los Angeles' Pau Gasol picked up the ball for a slam dunk that pulled the Lakers to 85-79 with 4:54 left.

Yao grabbed his knee and grimaced in pain as he sat on the court. After being tended to, he limped off the court. Moments later, after stretching his knee in the tunnel, he was back in the game.

Yao had eight points after coming back; a jumper and six free throws. He made all 10 of his free throws.

Battier was cut over his left eye and had blood streaming down his face in the closing seconds of the first quarter. He was hit when Los Angeles' Sasha Vujacic swatted a loose ball out to Bryant. The force of the impact knocked Battier to the ground.

Workers spent a few minutes wiping blood off the court.

Battier returned late in the second quarter.

Earlier in the quarter, the Lakers' Pau Gasol had trainers work on a cut over his left eye, and Gasol returned to the game, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The Lakers trailed 59-50 with just less than 6 minutes left in the third quarter after Artest hit a 3-pointer. Bryant scored 11 of the Lakers' last 14 points in the quarter, which ended with the Rockets ahead 70-67.

Bryant made three jumpers in just over than 2 minutes, helping keep the Lakers close as both Yao and Brooks drove the baseline for dunks.

Notes: Andrew Bynum of the Lakers started but drew two fouls in the first 3 minutes and was replaced by Lamar Odom. ... The Lakers were 4-0 against the Rockets during the regular season.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Round One - Utah Jazz

GAME 5: Bryant, Lakers close out Jazz with 107-96 win

LOS ANGELES(AP) Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are moving on in the NBA playoffs - as if that was really in doubt.

With Bryant making everything from 3-pointers to a fadeaway jumper while falling on his backside, the Lakers ran away from the Utah Jazz on Monday night, winning 107-96 to finish the opening-round series in five games.

Bryant scored 31 points and Lamar Odom had 26 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who earned several days of rest before meeting the winner of the Portland-Houston series.

The Lakers didn't want to have to go back to Salt Lake City, the site of their Game 3 collapse and their Game 4 bounceback.

"I think we had a first-round opponent that was much tougher this year than we did last year,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I'm not discounting the present Denver team when I talk about last year's Denver team, but we were able to kind of do what we wanted to do with them and were able to sweep them 4-0.

"I think it will prep us for what we have to do as we go along. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves.''

It was a disappointing end for a Jazz team that had high expectations.

"Injuries kind of affected us and we really weren't able to ever get into a rhythm,'' Utah's Deron Williams said. "We kind of headed downhill toward the playoffs and we just really didn't get the type of effort we needed to win a series.''

Although it wasn't the most artistic game at times, the Lakers got the shots to fall when they needed them most.

If there was any question that this was going to be the Lakers' night on their home court, Bryant answered that in the closing seconds of the first half.

He drove the lane and passed to Pau Gasol. The ball was batted loose and Bryant grabbed it, turned and sank a fadeaway jumper as he fell on his rear end, giving the Lakers a 56-43 halftime lead.

By late in the third quarter, the Lakers were toying with the Jazz. Bryant made a layup, hit a 3-pointer and fed Gasol for a slam dunk. Odom added a bucket and just like that it was 80-58.

The crowd spent the ensuing timeout cheering the celebrities shown on the big screen at Staples Center - John McEnroe, Dustin Hoffman, Glenn Frey and, of course, Jack Nicholson.

The Jazz cut the lead to 93-86 with 4:37 left but Bryant hit a turnaround jumper and Odom finished a fast break with a slam dunk to fend off Utah's late run.

"We're happy that we got the win but, but I don't think we're happy about how we won so we have to pay attention and stay focused on closing games out,'' Lakers forward Trevor Ariza said.

Paul Millsap led Utah with 16 points while Andrei Kirilenko and Williams had 14 apiece.

Gasol had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Ariza 12 points for the Lakers.

The Lakers weren't particularly sharp in the first quarter, and the Jazz held on for a 26-all tie.

But when the Jazz took out Williams starting the second quarter, the Lakers went on an 8-0 that put them ahead for good. Odom and Bryant each hit a 3-pointer and Bryant made two free throws for a 34-26 lead.

Notes: Ariza started for the Lakers and didn't appear bothered by the ankle he sprained during warmups before Game 4 on Saturday night. The news isn't so good about Luke Walton - he's out for at least one week with a partial ligament tear in his left ankle. ... This was the final game for Jazz broadcaster "Hot'' Rod Hundley, who is retiring after his long career. Hundley has been broadcasting Jazz games since they were an expansion team playing in New Orleans in 1974. He made the move to Utah with the rest of the club in 1979. A former star at West Virginia, the 74-year-old Hundley played six NBA seasons for the Lakers before he retired in 1963. Hundley was acknowledged by the PA announcer during a timeout in the fourth quarter and received a nice ovation from the crowd.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

GAME 4: BRYANT'S BACK AS LAKERS CRUISE TO 108-94 WIN

Kobe Bryant had a monster game as he dropped 38 points on 16-for-24 shooting against the Jazz, including 24 in the first half, to lead the Lakers to a runaway 108-94 Game 4 win Saturday in Utah. Pau Gasol added 13 points as L.A. took a 3-1 series lead. The series shifts back to LA where the Lakers have a chance to close it out on Monday night.

SALT LAKE CITY(AP) Kobe Bryant followed his worst shooting game in years by scoring 38 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 108-94 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night and a 3-1 series advantage.

Bryant, who was 16-for-24, scored Los Angeles' first 11 points and once his teammates joined in, the Lakers overwhelmed the Jazz and moved within one game of advancing to the second round.

Lamar Odom had 10 points and 15 rebounds and Pau Gasol added 13 points for the Lakers, who host Game 5 on Monday night.

Deron Williams had 23 points and 13 assists and Carlos Boozer also scored 23 and pulled down 16 rebounds for Utah.

The Jazz won Game 3 on Thursday, holding Bryant to a 5-for-24 shooting night and 18 points.

That got Utah within 2-1 in the series, but also stirred Bryant and the Jazz paid for it Saturday.

The Lakers staggered the Jazz with 40 points in the second quarter, then completed the knockout in the third with defense, holding Utah to just 16 points. The Jazz hurt themselves by going 2-for-6 from the foul line and were outrebounded 15-8 and the Lakers stretched the lead to 19.

Utah got within five twice early in the third, then Bryant and the Lakers smothered the comeback. Bryant scored six during an 8-2 run, hitting two jumpers and adding two free throws to put the Lakers up 72-61 with 7:54 left in the period. The Jazz missed from outside and never were able to establish much in the lane. When the Jazz did get inside, they missed and didn't get the foul calls they wanted.

Shannon Brown's two free throws with 25 seconds left gave the Lakers an 88-69 lead at the end of three, giving Utah's usually-rowdy fans little to cheer in the fourth.

The Lakers first silenced the crowd in the second period, making 12 of their first 18 shots and finished the period 14-for-20, outscoring the Jazz 40-28 while taking a 60-53 halftime lead.

Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic and Brown made consecutive 3-pointers for the Lakers during a 9-2 spurt that put Los Angeles ahead 36-34 while Bryant rested on the bench. Bryant returned with 7:02 left in the second and led the Lakers on a 7-2 run, slipping in a reverse layup after a turnover to put the Lakers ahead 43-36 and prompting a timeout by Utah with 5:10 left.

Utah managed to cut it to 60-53 at halftime. Williams made two foul shots with 3.9 seconds left, then Boozer tipped Walton's long inbounds pass back to Williams, who drove for a layup and drew a foul on Walton with 0.2 seconds left. Williams made the free throw and the Lakers' lead was down to seven points after standing at 12 just four seconds earlier.

Center Mehmet Okur returned for Utah in his first game since straining his right hamstring April 13 and was obviously rusty after the layoff, finishing with two rebounds and no points.

Notes: Bryant was 6-for-8 in first quarter, scoring 13 to keep the Lakers close. ... Fisher was the first Laker other than Bryant to score, hitting a 20-footer with 4:54 left in the first quarter. ... Andrei Kirilenko had 15 points and Kyle Korver scored 12 for Utah.

GAME 3: BOOZER LEADS JAZZ BACK INTO SERIES

SALT LAKE CITY(AP) Deron Williams hit a fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds left to give Utah an 88-86 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, getting the Jazz back into the first-round playoff series.

Carlos Boozer tied a franchise playoff record with 22 rebounds and scored 23 points as the Jazz pulled within 2-1 in the series. Game 4 is Saturday night in Utah.

Williams finished with 13 points and nine assists, winning it with only his third field goal of the night.

The Lakers had a chance to win, but Kobe Bryant's 3-pointer at the buzzer was way off and the Jazz celebrated their first win of the postseason.

Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Bryant scored 18 despite going just 5-for-24 from the floor. Pau Gasol added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers.

The Jazz avoided falling behind 3-0 in the series by winning a wild one. Both teams were sporadic, excelling one quarter and stalling the next. Utah regrouped after scoring just 17 in both the second and third quarters with an inspired fourth, outscoring the Lakers 28-18 and retaking the lead every time Los Angeles tied it down the stretch.

The Jazz took a two-point lead four times in the final two minutes and the Lakers finally ran out of time.

Odom tied it at 82 on a layup with 1:07 left, then Boozer put Utah back up with a layup 20 seconds later. Bryant tied it again with 28 seconds to go, then Boozer spun around Gasol for a dunk to give Utah the lead again with 16.9 seconds to go.

Gasol matched Boozer's dunk with his own to tie it again at 86 with 11.7 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Williams came through with a jumper after struggling with his shot most of the night.

Williams finished 3-for-7 and was just 7-for-12 from the foul line, but had more support Thursday than he had in the first two games of the series.

The Lakers shot 58 percent while taking a 2-0 series lead, but the shots weren't falling most of Game 3. Los Angeles finished 32-for-87.

The Lakers shot 58 percent while taking a 2-0 series lead, but the shots weren't falling most of Game 3. Los Angeles finished 32-for-87 from the floor and was beaten to most of the missed shots as Utah pulled down 55 rebounds to the Lakers' 40.

After scoring 41 in the first quarter Tuesday in Los Angeles, the Lakers had just 17 in the opening period in Game 3. They were able to overcome that by rattling the Jazz in the middle two quarters and opening the third period on a 15-1 run, starting with a 3-pointer by Bryant.

Los Angeles hit 10 of its first 15 shots in the period and led 68-60 entering the final quarter.

Kyle Korver hit a 3-pointer late in the third to get the Jazz back within single digits, then Utah opened the fourth 5-for-5 during a 15-4 run to reclaim the lead. Williams made two foul shots to cut it to 72-71, then Harpring put Utah up by a point with a dunk at the end of a fast break.

Bryant tried to take over for the Lakers, but was called for an offensive foul when he ran into Millsap while driving to the basket, then was called for his fourth foul less than a minute later at the other end. Bryant tried another drive and this time Millsap swatted the shot away.

Notes: Former Jazz G John Stockton, elected to the Hall of Fame earlier this month, attended and got a standing ovation during a time out in the second quarter when he was shown on the monitor above the court. ... Both teams went 4-for-8 from the foul line in the third quarter. ... Boozer tied Karl Malone's Jazz record for rebounds in a playoff game. ... The Lakers forced Utah into 16 turnovers.

GAME 2: LAKERS DEFEAT JAZZ 119-109 TO TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD

LOS ANGELES(AP) Utah kept coming, relentlessly closing within six points time and again. The Lakers never let their lead get away.

Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 22 and Lamar Odom had 19 off the bench in a 119-109 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, giving Los Angeles a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 first-round Western Conference playoff series.

The Lakers' Phil Jackson notched his 195th career postseason victory, the most of any coach in NBA history.

Deron Williams scored a career playoff-high 35 points and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz, who head home for Game 3 on Thursday. They again played without injured center Mehmet Okur.

Utah lost its 11th in a row at Staples Center, including playoff games.

The Lakers' shooting sizzled in the opening quarter, but they found themselves in a tight battle throughout much of the second half.

They stretched their lead to 96-81 early in the fourth. The Jazz relied mostly on Williams, and he scored six in a row to get his team to 105-99 with 5:22 remaining.

Boozer scored five consecutive points to leave the Jazz trailing 109-106 with 3:18 to go. Odom's fastbreak layup kept the Lakers ahead 111-106, enough of a cushion to survive two missed free throws by Gasol.

Bryant hit a 21-footer from the left corner and Trevor Ariza followed with a 3-pointer as the Lakers ended the game shooting 60 percent from the floor.

Utah closed within six points seven times in the third quarter when the Lakers came unglued offensively. Bryant missed several shots, Gasol got called for offensive basket interference and Derek Fisher committed three turnovers.

Each time the Jazz threatened, though, the Lakers came up with a basket. In the final 2:27, Bryant scored six consecutive points and assisted on Shannon Brown's 3-pointer to send the Lakers into the fourth leading 89-78.

The Jazz cut their deficit to 49-43 midway through the second quarter on an 18-footer by C.J. Miles.

But the Lakers answered with a 17-3 run to take their largest lead, 66-44, just as Bryant returned after starting the period on the bench. Brown hit a 3-pointer after Luke Walton scored off an offensive rebound of Brown's previous missed trey, and Bryant scored five in a row before Ariza capped the run with a 3-pointer.

Even the bounces went the Lakers' way. Odom's 3-pointer spun around in the cylinder before dropping in, and a free throw by Bryant hit the top of the backboard and dropped straight in.

The Lakers weren't successful in stopping Williams' dribble penetration, allowing him to run off seven unanswered points that left the Jazz trailing 66-55 at halftime. Los Angeles shot 63 percent in the half, and the Jazz hit a respectable 60 percent.

The Lakers shot a sizzling 86 percent in the opening quarter and took a 41-29 lead. As he did in Game 1, Bryant got his teammates involved first while he settled for a lone 3-pointer. He had seven of the Lakers' 14 assists in the first half. Andrew Bynum scored 10 points in the game's first eight minutes, giving him a career playoff high.

Notes: Bryant was called for a technical foul with 24 seconds left. ... The Lakers lost Games 3 and 4 at Utah in last season's conference semifinals before winning the series 4-2. ... Los Angeles is 3-7 in its last 10 regular season games in Salt Lake City. ... Jack Nicholson celebrated his 72nd birthday, standing to acknowledge the cheering crowd. Also attending were Dustin Hoffman, Justin Timberlake (who enveloped girlfriend Jessica Biel in a long kiss and embrace when the arena's kiss cam landed on them), Andy Garcia, Dyan Cannon, George Lopez and PGA golfer Anthony Kim, Michelle Kwan, Golden State's Corey Maggette and Maria Shriver.

GAME 1: LAKERS BEAT JAZZ 113-110 TO WIN PLAYOFF OPENER

LOS ANGELES(AP) The Lakers won the West in a runaway and they stuck to a similar script in their playoff opener.

Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, Trevor Ariza added 21 and Pau Gasol 20 as Los Angeles defeated the Utah Jazz 113-100 Sunday.

Allowing a Phil Jackson-coached team to win Game 1 of any series doesn't bode well for the opposition. Jackson's teams improved to 42-0 in series openers, including 18-0 with the Lakers.

The Lakers wrapped up the top seed in the Western Conference with 2 1/2 weeks remaining in the regular season, and eventually won the West by 11 games.

They pretty much had their way against the Jazz, leading by 22 points at halftime and then answered resoundingly both times Utah got within nine in the second half.

Bryant's total gave him 3,710 career postseason points, moving him past Magic Johnson and into ninth on the NBA's list. He trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (4,070) and Jerry West (4,457) for most points in the playoffs with the Lakers.

Carlos Boozer led the Jazz with 27 points and Deron Williams added 16 points and a career playoff-high 17 assists. Both were in foul trouble, with Boozer getting his third just before halftime when Williams already had two.

The Jazz sorely missed Mehmet Okur, who sat out with a mild right hamstring strain. He averages 17 points and 7.5 rebounds and gives Utah a much-needed inside presence against the Lakers' twin 7-footers, Andrew Bynum and Gasol.

Bynum had seven points and three rebounds playing in foul trouble most of the game.

The Jazz were 15-26 on the road during the regular season, and their luck at Staples Center isn't any better. The Lakers have won 10 in a row, including playoff games, at home against them.

The Jazz outscored the Lakers 33-24 in the third quarter to trail 86-73 going into the final 12 minutes. They opened the quarter on a 9-0 run, then a 9-2 burst got them to 72-63, their first single-digit deficit since late in the opening quarter.

But Bryant scored three in a row and Shannon Brown hit a 3-pointer that kept the Lakers ahead by 13.

The Jazz got to 98-89 on a 3-pointer by Andrei Kirilenko with 5:46 remaining in the game. Bryant answered with four points in a row and Gasol hit two free throws that pushed the lead back to 13 points.

Williams stole the ball from Bryant to start the game and the Jazz hit three quick shots to take their largest lead of four points.

It was all Lakers after that.

Bryant spent the first quarter getting his teammates involved, dishing off to Ariza and Brown for 3-pointers, and the Lakers built a 30-10 lead while shooting 71 percent.

Bryant sat down to start the second quarter while Lamar Odom and Bynum combined to score the Lakers' first 12 points, stretching their lead to 42-29. Twice the Jazz got within 10 in that span, but the Lakers took off on a 20-8 scoring binge the second time.

Bryant contributed by reeling off nine consecutive points before Luke Walton's 3-pointer gave the Lakers a 62-40 halftime lead.

The Jazz struggled on 35 percent shooting from the floor, and hit just 1-of-7 from 3-point range in the half.

Notes: Lakers coach Phil Jackson is breaking with his playoff tradition of wearing the most recent championship ring from his collection of nine NBA titles. "I'm tired of wearing that ring,'' he said about his 2002 bauble. "I've been wearing it for seven years now.'' ... Utah coach Jerry Sloan, Bryant and Odom each received technical fouls. ... Lakers G Jordan Farmar played despite tendinitis in his right pinky toe. ... Kanye West, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Eddie Murphy and Kelsey Grammar were among the celebs at the game.

Here’s the upcoming first round schedule you’ve all been waiting for — please adjust your life schedule accordingly.

Game 1 at LAKERS
Sunday, April 19
12:00pm
TV: ABC

Game 2 at LAKERS
Tuesday, April 21
7:30pm
TV: TNT/FSN

Game 3 at JAZZ
Thursday, April 23
7:30pm
TV: TNT/KCAL

Game 4 at JAZZ
Saturday, April 25
6:00pm
TV: ESPN/KCAL

Game 5 at LAKERS
Monday, April 27
7:30pm
TV: TNT/FSN

Game 6 at JAZZ*
Thursday, April 30
TBD
TV: KCAL
*If Necessary

Game 7 at LAKERS*
Saturday, May 2
TBD
TV: TNT/FSN
*If Necessary

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