NBA.com: Bryant Lifts Lakers Into Conference Finals

Bryant Lifts Lakers Into Conference Finals

Posted May 17 2008 1:44AM

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Gm. 1: LAL 109, UTA 98 | Video | Photos | Buy | Presser

Gm. 2: LAL 120, UTA 110 | Video | Photos | Buy | Presser

Gm. 3: UTA 104, LAL 99 | Video | Photos | Buy | Presser

Gm. 4: UTA 123, LAL 115 | Video | Photos | Buy | Presser

Gm. 5: LAL 111, UTA 104 | Video | Photos | Buy | Presser

Gm. 6: LAL 108, UTA 105 | Video | Photos | Buy | Presser

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The Dave McMenamin Lakers-Jazz Series Blog

Kobe Bryant provided the start and the finish that the Los Angeles Lakers were looking for.

Bryant scored 34 points to lead six players in double figures as the Lakers built a big lead and held on Friday for a 108-105 victory over the Utah Jazz that wrapped up their Western Conference semifinal in six games.

The top-seeded Lakers joined the Detroit Pistons as the only teams to win road games in this round. In the conference finals for the first time since 2004, they await the winner of the New Orleans-San Antonio series.

Bryant made his first four shots and scored 10 points as the Lakers bolted to a 26-12 lead and never trailed. Hot shooting from guards Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic in the second quarter gave LA a 62-43 advantage at halftime, its largest lead.

The fourth-seeded Jazz, who came in 41-5 at home this season, battled back within seven points midway through the final period. But Bryant - who did not take a shot in the fourth quarter of Game 5 - made a 3-pointer and three-point play to rebuild the lead to 99-86 and added six free throws down the stretch.

Pau Gasol had 17 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, Fisher scored 16 points, Lamar Odom added 13 and Vujacic and Vladimir Radmanovic 12 apiece for the Lakers, who shot 50 percent.

Deron Williams collected 21 points and 14 assists and Mehmet Okur scored 16 points for Utah, which shot just 38 percent.

The Jazz, who reached the conference finals a year ago, never led in losing the last two games.

Series Statistics

LAL UTA

110.3 PPG 107.3

37.1 RPG 45.1

20.6 APG 24.3

0.491 FG% 0.443

0.788 FT% 0.802

0.396 3P% 0.342

STATS LEGEND

Series Statistics

UTA LAL

D. Williams 22.3 PPG K. Bryant 33.2

C. Boozer 12.8 RPG L. Odom 11.7

D. Williams 11.5 APG K. Bryant 7.2

P. Millsap 0.588 FG% L. Odom 0.587

K. Korver 1.000 FT% J. Farmar 1.000

D. Williams 0.441 3P% L. Odom 0.667

November 04, 2007

Lakers 119, Jazz 109 | Box | Video
Kobe Bryant led L.A. with 33 points as the Lakers defeated the Jazz 119-109.

December 28, 2007

Lakers 123, Jazz 109 | Box | Video
Kobe Bryant had 31 points and seven assists before sitting out the fourth quarter and the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 123-109

November 30, 2007