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May 9, 2008- EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City. The Jazz returned to Utah where they had the best home record in the NBA this season, took some distance from the visitors in the second quarter and survived at the end to give the Lakers their first loss in the Playoffs with a 104-99 final score.
NBA MVP Kobe Bryant had 34 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds but had not enough help in the offensive side with no teammate scoring more than 13 points.
This time Utah made the open shots the Lakers allowed them early, which gave them more space to operate in the paint. That and the hostile atmosphere at Utah seems to have helped Carlos Boozer recover his memory. Boozer, the Jazz leader in points during the season had been struggling throughout the playoffs but he had a huge game 3 with 27 points and 20 rebounds. In the fourth quarter when the Lakers used a 6-0 run to get within 95-92 he made shot after shot in 3 consecutive possessions killing one by one the Lakers hopes to get the win and rebuilding the lead to 101-92 with 1:57 left.
The Lakers lost their first game in more than a month that only saw 10 wins but it was inevitable after committing 18 turnovers, making just 5 of 23 three-point shots (21.7%) and suffering the notorious absence of players like Pau Gasol or Luke Walton. Gasol had probably his worst game as a Laker, and his 12 points and 6 rebounds don't say much about his lack of focus that ended with 5 turnovers and uncountable appeals to the referees. He is the key to the Lakers current style of play and the team will need him if they want to get a win on Sunday to return to L.A. ready to end the series.
Luke Walton looked erratic all the game and wasted the Lakers final chance to get close, by losing control of a ball that fell into his hands after Gasol won a jump ball with 14 seconds to play and the Lakers down 103-99.
Mehmet Okur had 22 points that included 4 three-pointers and Deron Williams led the way for Utah as he always do. He ended with 18 points and 12 assists despite needing ice in his hand after hitting the floor hard a first half that finished with the home team ahead 52-43.
The game was played exactly one year after Derek Fisher had one of the most memorable moments in Jazz history making a dramatic third-quarter entrance for the Jazz in an overtime win over Golden State after flying from New York where his daughter was receiving treatment for a cancerous eye tumor. He got a standing ovation in that game, and was crucial in the Jazz victory. But in this game he was booed every time he touched the ball because the uncivilized fans in Utah believe he betrayed them when he left for a city with better medical care for his daughter. |
LAL Utah Game 3
