Jazz hold off Lakers
SALT LAKE CITY - So much for Carlos Boozer's slump and the Lakers' unbeaten run through the playoffs.
Boozer scored 27 points and tied a career playoff-high with 20 rebounds to lead Utah to a 104-99 victory last night, cutting Los Angeles's lead in the Western Conference semifinals to 2-1.
The Jazz handed the Lakers their first loss of the playoffs and got back into the series by doing at home what they couldn't do on the road. The Jazz hit exactly half their shots and forced the Lakers into 18 turnovers, looking very little like the team that stumbled through two straight losses in Los Angeles to open the series.
"We competed very hard, much better than we did over there. That's what happens with a young team," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "We made mistakes but we kept playing hard. Before, we made mistakes and we felt sorry for ourselves. Tonight we kept playing hard."
The Jazz took the lead early in the second quarter and never gave it up. Utah held off a late push by the Lakers and league MVP Kobe Bryant, who had 34 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds but could not carry the team alone. Nobody else scored more than 13 points for Los Angeles.
Utah's offense was stagnant in the first two games, but last night the Jazz started hitting from the outside and moving the ball around enough to clear the inside for the layups their offense is designed to create. Boozer started slowly, but finished 12 for 21 and had 11 points and 7 rebounds in the fourth quarter.
Boozer's 27 points were 2 more than he scored in the first two games combined.
"I tried to stop thinking so much out there. My teammates were waiting for a big game out of me and I was too . . . I had to play thought-free and just react and play," he said.
Deron Williams added 18 points and 12 assists for the Jazz, who host Game 4 tomorrow afternoon and like their chances to even the series. The Jazz had the best home record in the regular season (37-4) and are 4-1 in the playoffs.
"It was just a solid game for us tonight," Williams said. "We pushed the ball in transition and got some easy things going. guys were hitting shots and our confidence kept carrying over."
After falling behind by 13 points, the Lakers made several runs in the second half and got as close as 3 points. Utah always came up with a steal, block or rebound to end the threat.
"We clawed back but you can't turn the ball over so many times," Bryant said.
