Kobe plays supporting role as Lakers top Jazz
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(AP) - Kobe Bryant usually starts out as a facilitator and finishes as a scorer. He did just the opposite in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Bryant, playing with a sore lower back, scored 26 points despite not attempting a field goal in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers extended the overwhelming success by home teams in the second round of the NBA playoffs by beating the Utah Jazz 111-104 on Wednesday night.
The series heads back to Utah for Game 6 Friday with the Lakers leading 3-2.
"I just play the game," Bryant said. "I don't go in with preconceived notions, I just play. Let the flow of the game take me. The biggest difference between tonight's game and the last game was tonight I could penetrate, I could put the defense in jeopardy. Last game I couldn't, I just couldn't do it, my back wouldn't let me do it."
The Lakers, who never trailed, can advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2004 with one more victory. But if form prevails, the teams will be playing a seventh and deciding game Monday night at Staples Center, where Los Angeles has a 17-3 record against the Jazz since the arena opened before the 1999-2000 season.
Home teams have won 19 of the 20 games in the second round. The Lakers are the top-seeded team in the Western Conference and have home-court advantage through the first three rounds of the postseason.
Bryant tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sunday's 123-115 overtime loss at Utah. Sore back and all, he had 33 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists while playing 46 minutes.
"That was the worst, most pain I've ever felt in a game," he said. "I got a lot out of my back tonight. I think it was better than I actually thought it was going to be."
The MVP didn't practice Monday or Tuesday, resting and receiving treatment. Clearly, it never occurred to him that he might be seriously hindered in Game 5, much less not play.
Bryant, who also had six rebounds and seven assists while playing 41 minutes, scored only three points in the final period, all from the foul line after the outcome had been decided. He shot 6-for-10 from the floor and 13-of-17 from the foul line.
"In the fourth quarter, we executed extremely well," he said. "We moved the ball, we shared it, we were aggressive. I just had to pick my spots. I knew I wasn't 100 percent healthy, so I wanted to get us off to a good start, give us an emotional boost."
He did just that by scoring the first five points of the game by making a 3-pointer and another long jumper.
Lamar Odom had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Pau Gasol added 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Vladimir Radmanovic scored 15 points and Derek Fisher added 14 for the Lakers, who were 17-1 during the regular season when all five starters scored in double figures.
"We wanted to help each other out, take away their open shots and we were able to do that the whole game," Odom said. "Sometimes when you're getting beat the whole game, you look up and you're down four points and it feels like 15."
All five Utah starters also scored in double figures led by Deron Williams, who had 27 points and 10 assists. Carlos Boozer added 18 points and 12 rebounds, Ronnie Brewer scored a career playoff-high 16 points, Mehmet Okur had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko scored 12 for the Jazz.
"We definitely had a better game this game than the other two," Williams said. "We feel like we can win here. We've just got to go back home right now and take care of business. We were in the game all the way to the end, we just missed some shots. They made some better plays down the stretch, and that's why they won."
A three-point play by Odom with 6:19 remaining gave the Lakers a 97-91 lead. But the Jazz battled back, and a 3-pointer by Williams as the shot clock wound down moved the Jazz within one point with 2:18 left.
That would be as close as the Jazz would get.
A dunk by Odom put the Lakers ahead by three points before Okur's basket made it 103-102. Two baskets by Gasol triggered an 8-2 Los Angeles run to finish the game.
"We got the basketball inside, we had some opportunities, missed shot shots we'd like to have back, but that's the way it goes," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "We never could get over the hump and put pressure on them."
Notes:@ The Lakers have won seven straight home games over Utah. ... The Lakers have won 18 of their last 21 home games in the postseason, while the Jazz have lost seven of their last nine road playoff games including four in a row. ... The Lakers are 36-6 when winning Game 5 of a best-of-seven series. ... The Jazz outrebounded the Lakers 44-34, but committed 19 turnovers to 14 for Los Angeles. ... Lakers G Jordan Farmar shot 2-for-5 and scored six points, including a three-point play with 8:38 remaining that gave the Lakers a 90-86 lead. The 21-year-old former UCLA star shot 1-for-16 and scored four points in the previous four games of this series.