SALT LAKE CITY — 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 and get 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
post-season.
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 per cent 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 per cent 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 three-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 three-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.
