That’s what the Utah Jazz are probably thinking after their 109-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. They simply don’t have an answer for Kobe Bryant – or his replacements.
That’s the problem.
Everyone knows that it’s difficult to outscore the Lakers when Kobe is on the floor. But what about those stretches when Phil Jackson lets his MVP take a respite?
Bryant played a little less than forty minutes in Game 1. But during those eight minutes that he rested, the Jazz couldn’t cut into the Lakers lead.
His replacements, in this game the replacement actually, Sasha Vujacic, outscored the entire Jazz team. Known as "The Machine" back in Serbia, Vujacic promptly hit on his first two three-point shots then got fouled making a driving layup for another three-point play. While Bryant sat out the first four minutes of the second quarter, Vujacic wound up outscoring the Jazz 9-4.
Jordan Farmar and Rony Turiaf also come in when Bryant, Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol take a breather. But on Sunday it was Vujacic alone who provided the offense. That is not to say that the other two did not contribute.
With Farmar and Turiaf defending along with Vujacic, the Jazz couldn’t get untracked. Instead of making time on the offensive end, they turned the ball over three times.
The result: When Bryant left, the Lakers had a one-point lead. When he returned, they were up 34-28.
And just for good measure, Bryant, immediately upon his return, did a Reggie Bush fake and sidestep to the basket, leaving Kirilenko hanging onto his arm and giving the Lakers another three-point play.
Fast forward to the end of the third quarter.
The Jazz had whittled the Lakers 19-point lead down to 79-72, when Jackson called in the replacements. A perfect spot for the Jazz to take the lead, right?
Wrong.
The Lakers replacement defense quickly plugged the leak. While Bryant took his usual four-minute respite, the Lakers only allowed the Jazz a Matt Harpring layup.
In that four-minute span, Vujacic had three defensive rebounds, and Rony Turiaf snuffed another Harpring layup and then made a slam dunk at the other end. Luke Walton, who replaced Vladimir Radmanovic, made a layup to give the Lakers a 9-point lead, 83-74.
Enter Bryant once again at 8:45. Twelve seconds later he hit a 13-foot jumper to extend the Lakers lead to 11 points, which turned out to be their winning margin.
Although it is unusual for dependable role players like Harpring, Kyle Korver and Paul Milsap to go cold all at once with only six field goals between them, it is just as unusual for Farmar and Turiaf to be nearly shutout. Farmer had no baskets and no points while Turiaf made just one field goal.
Turiaf saw limited action in the Denver series due to an upper respiratory infection, which has affected Luke Walton as well. Farmar, like Radmanovic earlier in the regular season, has been out of sorts lately but will no doubt get his rhythm back soon.
Once the Lakers bench is again clicking on all cylinders, the Jazz can count on getting no rest while Bryant gets his.
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5 months ago
Nice article man
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