Jazz 104, Lakers 99
As he left the interview room after Friday night's game, Carlos Boozer crossed paths with Derek Fisher, who was set to follow Boozer in front of the microphones. They talked for a minute or so before exchanging hugs and heading their separate directors.
It was a fitting scene. This was Fisher's night a year ago, when he flew in from New York following his infant daughter's cancer treatment, arrived in the third quarter of Game 2 of the conference semifinals and inspired the Jazz to an overtime victory over Golden State.
A year later, the night belonged to Boozer, who broke out of his playoff slump with a 27-point, 20-rebound game in which he was the Jazz's go-to player in the last 3 1-2 minutes off the pick-and-roll with Deron Williams.
"I feel like I have a big responsibility with my team and if I don't play well, sometimes I feel like I let them down," Boozer said. "To bounce back this way means a lot to me. I'm going to try to do the same thing Sunday."
I didn't realize it until after deadline, but Boozer outscored Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom 27-25 by himself in the game. Gasol had 12 points and five turnovers while Odom had 13 points but took only three shots.
Williams said afterward that he tried to give Boozer as much space as he could to work out his struggles these playoffs. "He's one of those guys you let it brew," Williams said, "let them do what they've got to do and they'll be ready for the next one."
Boozer had no turnovers and no fouls at the end of the first quarter, which was key to getting in rhythm. He drove on Gasol for a three-point play in the quarter and spun back on Ronny Turiaf for a layup, early signs that he was in for a productive night.
The Lakers now have to be saying to themselves what the Jazz did after Games 1 and 2. They lost the second quarter 29-20 and that was the game. Just like the Jazz did in Los Angeles, the Lakers got as close as three in the fourth but couldn't get over the hump.
It's hard to imagine Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic having a worse time in Game 4 than they did in Game 3. Vujacic was 0-for-3 while Farmer missed all six shots he took and dribbled the ball off his foot out of bounds in the fourth quarter.
It's also hard to imagine the Lakers cheating as much off Mehmet Okur as they did Friday, leaving Okur to hit four three-pointers on the way to scoring 22 points, one shy of his playoff career high.
Kobe Bryant made a spectacular play in the fourth quarter with his self-pass dunk off the backboard and out of a trap. As the Jazz went to Boozer down the stretch, though, Bryant lost his footing on a drive and also missed a three-pointer.
Bryant additionally let Luke Walton have it after Walton fumbled away a pass with the Lakers trailing by four and 14 seconds remaining. You have to wonder if maybe the Lakers were due for a poor showing after opening the playoffs 6-0 and winning 14 of 15.
A year ago, the Jazz absolutely destroyed the Spurs in Game 3 of the conference finals 109-83 only to lose Game 4 at home and get wiped out in Game 5 on the road. It's worth noting that this series has followed the pattern of that one almost identically.
Maybe Steve Javie will even show up for old time's sake Sunday. I have a feeling the Jazz's first Sunday home game in more than seven years is going to be wild.
"We just needed that one game under our belt just to get our confidence back and I think we got that," Williams said.
--Ross Siler
It was a fitting scene. This was Fisher's night a year ago, when he flew in from New York following his infant daughter's cancer treatment, arrived in the third quarter of Game 2 of the conference semifinals and inspired the Jazz to an overtime victory over Golden State.
A year later, the night belonged to Boozer, who broke out of his playoff slump with a 27-point, 20-rebound game in which he was the Jazz's go-to player in the last 3 1-2 minutes off the pick-and-roll with Deron Williams.
"I feel like I have a big responsibility with my team and if I don't play well, sometimes I feel like I let them down," Boozer said. "To bounce back this way means a lot to me. I'm going to try to do the same thing Sunday."
I didn't realize it until after deadline, but Boozer outscored Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom 27-25 by himself in the game. Gasol had 12 points and five turnovers while Odom had 13 points but took only three shots.
Williams said afterward that he tried to give Boozer as much space as he could to work out his struggles these playoffs. "He's one of those guys you let it brew," Williams said, "let them do what they've got to do and they'll be ready for the next one."
Boozer had no turnovers and no fouls at the end of the first quarter, which was key to getting in rhythm. He drove on Gasol for a three-point play in the quarter and spun back on Ronny Turiaf for a layup, early signs that he was in for a productive night.
The Lakers now have to be saying to themselves what the Jazz did after Games 1 and 2. They lost the second quarter 29-20 and that was the game. Just like the Jazz did in Los Angeles, the Lakers got as close as three in the fourth but couldn't get over the hump.
It's hard to imagine Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic having a worse time in Game 4 than they did in Game 3. Vujacic was 0-for-3 while Farmer missed all six shots he took and dribbled the ball off his foot out of bounds in the fourth quarter.
It's also hard to imagine the Lakers cheating as much off Mehmet Okur as they did Friday, leaving Okur to hit four three-pointers on the way to scoring 22 points, one shy of his playoff career high.
Kobe Bryant made a spectacular play in the fourth quarter with his self-pass dunk off the backboard and out of a trap. As the Jazz went to Boozer down the stretch, though, Bryant lost his footing on a drive and also missed a three-pointer.
Bryant additionally let Luke Walton have it after Walton fumbled away a pass with the Lakers trailing by four and 14 seconds remaining. You have to wonder if maybe the Lakers were due for a poor showing after opening the playoffs 6-0 and winning 14 of 15.
A year ago, the Jazz absolutely destroyed the Spurs in Game 3 of the conference finals 109-83 only to lose Game 4 at home and get wiped out in Game 5 on the road. It's worth noting that this series has followed the pattern of that one almost identically.
Maybe Steve Javie will even show up for old time's sake Sunday. I have a feeling the Jazz's first Sunday home game in more than seven years is going to be wild.
"We just needed that one game under our belt just to get our confidence back and I think we got that," Williams said.
--Ross Siler
1:51 AM
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