By DOUG ALDEN

Posted Dec 12 2009 11:47PM

SALT LAKE CITY(AP) Deron Williams scored eight straight points to start the fourth quarter and finished with 21 points and 11 assists to help the Utah Jazz end the Lakers' 11-game winning streak by beating Los Angeles 102-94 Saturday night.

Utah took advantage as Kobe Bryant struggled with a broken index finger from a game the night before. The Jazz held Bryant to 16 points on 7 of 24 shooting. Bryant didn't score in the second half until less than five minutes remained in the game and Utah already up by 15.

The Jazz also avenged a loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Wednesday, when Utah scored just six points in the fourth quarter.

Carlos Boozer had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Jazz and Wesley Matthews and Ronnie Brewer scored 19 apiece as Utah ended the Lakers' streak. Mehmet Okur added 10 points as all five starters for Utah scored in double figures.

Each member of Los Angeles' starting five was also in double digits, but they couldn't keep up with Utah's starters.

Pau Gasol had 20 rebounds, tying the career high he set the night before in a win over Minnesota. He and Ron Artest had 16 points each, and Andrew Bynum added 13 for Los Angeles, which last lost Nov. 15 at home to Houston.

The Jazz led by six at halftime, then pulled away on several small runs in the second half.

Jordan Farmar took a steal in for a layup that got Los Angeles to within 80-71 at the end of the third quarter, but with Bryant resting on the bench to start the fourth the Lakers fell too far behind to make a comeback.

The Lakers missed their first seven shots of the fourth, not scoring until Lamar Odom tipped in his own miss and cut Utah's lead to 88-73 with 8:52 left.

Williams started the period with two layups, went 1 for 2 on a trip to the line and then muscled a layup through a strong foul by Bynum and converted the three-point play to put Utah up 88-71 with 9:04 left in the game.

Bryant didn't score in the second half until he hit a 19-foot jumper with 4:51 left, then he added a 3-pointer 29 seconds later to get the Lakers within 12. Bryant later converted a three-point play with 3:05 remaining that got the Lakers to 96-85.

The Jazz ran the shot clock almost all the way down on the next possession, passing the ball around until Miles just beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to erase what little doubt remained.

NOTES: The Jazz dressed 12 players for the first time this season. ... The Lakers were 8 for 26 in the fourth quarter. ... Utah was 40 for 77 from the field and made 15 of 18 free throws.

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

Phil Jackson – Head Coach

On the game
“There wasn’t enough energy out there we didn’t do a lot of the good things shooting wise in the second half, we didn’t take care of the ball as well as I’d like to see but we had a good run and we now got to start another one.”

On what happened offensively in the second half
“They started double-teaming us and trapping and we didn’t react well out of it and didn’t shoot the ball well but we got to the foul line a few times but it got real slow in the third quarter but we really didn’t get the momentum back. The problem was that we let them bust it open a little bit in the fourth quarter to start and we didn’t contain Williams.”

On Kobe
“I think it was just energy wise for him, he’d figure out a way to go at it if he had the energy but I just don’t think he had the energy.”

Ron Artest – Forward [16 points, 2 rebounds]

On the game
“Offensively, we just started to rebound too late, but we just didn’t come out and play with any consistency. It was just one of those nights. I don’t see this type of game happening from us again. But (Utah) played good, but we still felt like we had a chance to win the game, we just couldn’t pull it out.”

On Kobe’s illness and injury
“I think we still had a chance (despite the injury). Kobe still came up and made some big shots in the end. We still would have had a chance tonight if we would have played better.”

Pau Gasol – Forward [16 points, 20 rebounds]

On the Lakers’ win streak ending
“We expected (Utah) to play better (than last Wednesday), it was no surprise. They did what they had to do and unfortunately we didn’t do what we needed to do to match them and give us a chance to win. They played tough, they played hard and they did their job. We didn’t bring the intensity tonight that we needed to win the ballgame. We will take the day off tomorrow and get ready to go again.”

On back-to-back 20 rebounding games
“I’m just staying active and pursuing the ball. I don’t get that many looks offensively so I need to hit the boards to get some points, otherwise I only get like five shots a game. I’m trying to get some looks there and stay active and simply do what I can.”

Jerry Sloan – Head Coach (14-9 this season)

On the game
“I thought our guys played extremely hard. We made a few mistakes, but everyone was involved and we passed the ball well and did a good job of trying to find the open man. It was just a great win for us.”

On the play of several players
“(Deron Williams) is playing terrific on both ends of the floor. He is rotating out of the defense we’re doing and really just doing a great job for us.”

“(Wesley Matthews) struggled a bit the last time we played (the Lakers), but tonight he came out and fought back. That’s exactly what you like to see from your young players. He wasn’t feeling sorry for himself and sometimes he was mismatched defensively with guys that were bigger than him, but it didn’t bother him, he just kept playing, and that’s what we want to see, that kind of toughness.”

“(Ronnie Brewer) had a great third quarter. He had that one shot he picked up off the floor and made. You think you have a chance when you make some shots like that.”

Ronnie Brewer – Guard [19 points, 8 rebounds)

On the game
“This has been a tough week for us. I think we came out strong. We knew they were going to be tired, they had a back-to-back game. We wanted to bring the intensity and run the floor on the offensive end and I think that’s what we did tonight.”

On containing Kobe
“He’s such a great, phenomenal player. There are games where he can shoot 80 percent from the field and have 50, 60 points. You’ve just got to do your work early and contest every shot and hope that he misses.”

Deron Williams – Guard [21 points, 11 assists)

On his fourth quarter play
“I didn’t really want to let them get on a run because that’s what they did last game, so I kind of wanted to be aggressive. I was happy Coach put me back in so early. You know some times he doesn’t put me back in until the eight or nine minute mark, so I was happy he put me back in early.”

On winning tonight versus Wednesday
“We weren’t happy with the fourth quarter (on Wednesday). You know we played well through three, but that fourth quarter was embarrassing the way we played. We’re definitely happy with how we played today. The effort was a lot better, especially in the fourth. The energy was better. You know it helped a little bit that Kobe was under the weather, but we’ll take a win against anyone.”

Carlos Boozer – Forward [12 points, 8 rebounds)

On the game
“Great game. We did a great job in the first, beginning of the game, executing our offense, playing solid defense and then we just continued doing what we had been doing from the first quarter on. We played a great game. A great win. Guys stepped up left and right. It was fun to see us play the way we did.”

On the week
“We played great. I think everyone knew this was our barometer week to see how we were going to do. We got a little healthier tonight. We got a couple guys back and for us, we feel like we can play with anybody when we play the way we’re capable of playing.”

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN

Posted Dec 12 2009 2:18AM

After playing a league-high 17 times at home, the Los Angeles Lakers are ready to hit the road and put the NBA's best record to the test - with Kobe Bryant playing through some pain.

Bryant expects to take the court for the Lakers as they look for a 12th straight win Saturday night when they face the Utah Jazz for the second time in four days.

The Lakers (18-3) are hopeful Bryant will be functioning at his usual high level throughout this five-game trip - which closes with four matchups against teams currently under .500. The superstar fractured the index finger on his right hand while reaching for a pass late in the first quarter in Friday's 104-92 home win over Minnesota and was fitted for a splint at halftime.

The break isn't Bryant's first avulsion fracture, in which a small piece of bone tears away near a ligament or tendon.

"It's pretty painful," said Bryant, who finished with a team-high 20 points. "I just tried to play through it. ... You just get used to it, that's all. It's just a different technique to shoot the ball with this," indicating the soft-foam protection on his right index finger.

Los Angeles has taken advantage of a favorable schedule in which it hasn't played outside California since Nov. 13. The Lakers are 3-1 on the road as they make their first trip to Utah (13-9) since winning Game 4 of a first-round series April 25.

"There's only one loss here or two I could say that I was disappointed in how we played the game," coach Phil Jackson said. "We did a good job on our home court and set ourselves up for the road schedule now."

Pau Gasol had 17 points and 20 rebounds Friday, and the Lakers improved to 10-0 since he returned from a hamstring injury. Los Angeles used a 30-14 third quarter to pull away after leading by two at halftime.

A similarly dominant period helped Los Angeles win 101-77 over Utah on Wednesday at home. The Lakers outscored the Jazz 28-6 in the fourth quarter to turn a two-point game into a rout.

Utah missed 16 of 18 shots in the final quarter. Bryant scored 27 points and Gasol added 19 and 12 boards.

"They didn't get the shots they got in the first three quarters," Gasol said. "We got the momentum and just started putting plays together."

The Lakers haven't won 12 straight since a 19-game run Feb. 4-March 13, 2000.

The Jazz bounced back from the loss to the Lakers by rallying for a 120-111 victory over Orlando on Thursday. Utah trailed by 13 after one quarter before Deron Williams scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half and also finished with 15 assists and eight rebounds.

"We all were disappointed with our loss (Wednesday) in L.A. That fourth quarter we kind of continued in the first quarter," Williams said. "We just had to get out of that funk."

Carlos Boozer notched his sixth double-double in seven games with 20 points and 14 rebounds Thursday. He's averaging 23.4 and 12.3 in that span.

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

DJ Mbenga (sprained right ankle)is day-to-day.
Luke Walton (pinched nerve, back) is out.

Kyrylo Fesenko – GAMETIME DECISION (stomach virus)
Matt Harpring – NOT WITH TEAM (ankle, knee)
Andrei Kirilenko – GAMETIME DECISION (lower back strain)
Kyle Korver – OUT (left knee surgery)
Ronnie Price – OUT (sprained left big toe)

SEASON & SERIES NOTES; CONNECTIONS
The Lakers lead the current season series with Utah 1-0 after winning each of their past three season series with the Jazz: 2006-07 (2-1), 2007-08 (3-1) and 2008-09 (2- 1). The Jazz and Lakers have now met 147 times in the regular season (94-53) and 129 times since the Jazz moved to Utah (81-48). In the postseason, the Lakers have split four series with the Jazz, winning the 2008 Western Conference Semifinals 4-2 and the 2009 Western Conference First Round 4-1. The Lakers are 8-2 in their last 10 regular season games with the Jazz. The Lakers are 17-3 all-time against the Jazz at STAPLES Center during the regular season and have won their last seven straight (13 in a row including the playoffs). In Utah, the Lakers have gone 3-7 in their last 10 regular season games at EnergySolutions Arena. Under head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers are 24-11 against Utah in the regular season. In their most recent meeting 12/9/09 at STAPLES Center, the Lakers held the Jazz to the third fewest fourth quarter points (6) in the NBA’s shot clock era. In 2006, the Lakers scored a series record 132 points in a 132-102 victory 11/30/06 at STAPLES Center, improving upon the old mark of 131 points achieved at Utah 12/486. In that game, Kobe Bryant established a new series-high with 52 points against the Jazz, surpassing his own record of 43 points (3/22/05) while also bettering Adrian Dantley’s Jazz mark of 50 established in November of 1979. Bryant’s 30-point 3rd quarter tied his own franchise record and is tied for the 4th-highest scoring quarter in NBA history. In 44 games against the Jazz (36 starts), Bryant is averaging 26.4 points and is averaging 32.1 points (353) against Utah over the last four regular seasons (11 games including ‘09-10). Additionally, Lakers guard Derek Fisher played the 2006-07 season for Utah, appearing in all 82 games, starting 61 and averaging 10.1 points and 3.3 assists in 27.9 minutes.

GOING STREAKING
With their victory over the Jazz December 9th, the Lakers won for the 10th straight time, further surpassing their longest win streak from a season ago when the Lakers strung together 7-straight victories on three occasions, most recently from 1/30/09 – 2/10/09. The victory marked the 24th time in franchise history that the team has put together a 10+ game win streak (20 in Los Angeles, 4 in Minneapolis). Prior to the current 10-game win streak, the Lakers last won 10 straight games from 2/8/08 – 2/28/08 during the 2007-08 campaign. The Lakers last 11-game win streak came during the 2003-04 season from March 13 – April 2, 2004. The Lakers have not won 12 straight games since a streak of 19 consecutive victories from February 4 – March 13, 2000, part of a 19-game streak that ranks as the 2nd longest in team history.

LAKERS PLAY STINGIEST DEFENSIVE 4TH QUARTER IN FRANCHISE HISTORY (SHOT CLOCK ERA)
Leading by two entering the 4th quarter of their December 9th contest with Utah, the Lakers played the best defensive 4th quarter in franchise history (shot clock era), holding the Jazz to the third fewest 4th quarter points (6) in the NBA’s shot clock era. During the period, the Lakers forced nine turnovers, including three shot clock violations in a three minute span, while limiting the Jazz to just 2-of-18 shooting from the field. Only the Warriors (2 points, 2/8/04) and the Trail Blazers (5 points, 3/15/06) have scored fewer points in a 4th quarter than what the Lakers limited the Jazz to (7th time a team has scored six 4th quarter points). Overall, the Jazz’s six fourth quarter points were the fewest points in any quarter the Lakers have surrendered since holding the Los Angeles Clippers to three points in the second quarter of 95-68 victory 12/14/99. The franchise record for fewest points allowed in any quarter is two, established in the third quarter of the Lakers 87-80 victory vs. Dallas 4/6/97.

JUST ADD GASOL
Since Pau Gasol made his season debut 11/19 vs. Chicago, the Lakers are 9-0 while defeating teams by an average of 16.6 points per game (149). Additionally, with Gasol’s return, all five starters have scored in double-figures three times whereas in the previous 11 games without him in the lineup, not once did that occur. In games played without Gasol since he joined the Lakers, Los Angeles is 15-7 overall (6-4 in 2007-08, 1-0 in 2008-09 and 8-3 in 2009-10). With Gasol in the lineup, the Lakers are 95-22 (.812) in the regular season since he joined the team in February of 2008 (22-5 in 2007-08, 64-17 in 2008-09 and 9-0 in 2009-10) and 30-14 (.682) in the playoffs.

3-TIME ALL STAR GAME MVP KOBE BRYANT LEADS ALL PLAYERS AFTER 1st ROUND OF ALL-STAR BALLOTING
On December 10th, the NBA announced its FIRST returns of 2010 NBA All-Star balloting with Kobe Bryant (692,518) LEADING all players in All-Star voting, ahead of Miami’s Dwyane Wade (672,227) and Cleveland’s LeBron James (649,327). In the West, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony (588,958) and Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki (366,300) are the top two vote-getters at forward, Bryant and Houston’s Tracy McGrady (281,545) lead the guard voting and Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire (447,776) leads the center voting. In the East, James and Boston’s Kevin Garnett (533,187) lead the forward voting, Wade and Orlando’s Vince Carter (292,002) are the top two vote-getters at guard and Dwight Howard (625,279) least all Eastern Conference centers in balloting.

Pau Gasol (280,758), who made his second All-Star team last season as a reserve and became the 27th Laker in franchise history to be name an All-Star, ranks 3rd in balloting among West forwards behind Anthony and Nowitzki but ahead of San Antonio’s Tim Duncan (271,321) and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (177,205) while Andrew Bynum (299,484) ranks 2nd among West centers behind Stoudemire but ahead of Denver’s Nene (90,439).
In each of the last two seasons, Bryant has led the Western Conference in all-star balloting. Last season, he accumulated 2,805,397 votes, finishing third in overall balloting behind Dwight Howard (3,150,181) and LeBron James (2,940,823). In 2007-08, Bryant garnered 2,004,940 votes to finish fourth in overall voting behind Kevin Garnett (2,399,148), James (2,108,831) and Howard (2,066,991). In 2006-07, when he earned his second All-Star MVP, Bryant finished third overall in balloting behind James and Yao Ming. A three-time All-Star MVP (2002 Philadelphia, 2007 Las Vegas, 2009 Phoenix), Bryant is an 11-time All-Star and has started 11 consecutive All-Star games. Bryant, who was the youngest All-Star in NBA history in 1998, led all players in NBA All-Star balloting in 2003.

BACK-TO-BACK
Friday’s game against the Timberwolves will be the first of a back-to-back set with Minnesota and Utah. This season, the Lakers are 3-0 in the first game and 2-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. On the year, the Lakers will play 20 sets of back-to-back games, the most the team has played in a single season since playing 22 sets of back-to-backs during the 1999-00 campaign. Last year, the Lakers played 19 sets of back-to-backs, going 14-5 in the first game and 14-5 in the second as well. Charlotte, Detroit and Milwaukee lead the league with 23 back-to-backs each in 2009-10 while New Orleans (15) and San Antonio (17) will play the fewest sets this season.