NBA Playoffs: Lakers Slip Up, Lose First Postseason Game of Year

The Lakers had to check to make sure they were playing the same team Friday night.The same squad Los Angeles tossed around for two straight games played extremely better, as the Jazz cut the series lead in half, 2-1.

Utah, led by Carlos Boozer, simply outperformed the Lakers on Friday night. Boozer had a total of 27 points and 20 rebounds, a career playoff-high for the All-Star forward. He joined a list of only three other Jazz players to record 20-20 games in the playoffs.

The Jazz hit 50 percent of their shots from the field and forced the Lakers into 18 turnovers. Head coach Jerry Sloan thinks this performance was nothing like the way the previous two games went in Los Angeles.

"We competed very hard; much better than we did over there," he said in an Associated Press article. "That's what happens with a young team. We made mistakes but we kept playing hard. Before, we made mistakes and we felt sorry for ourselves. Tonight we kept playing hard."

Boozer also knows that his play greatly affects the outcome of his team. He felt he did a better job in several categories Friday night.

"I tried to stop thinking so much out there," he told the AP. "My teammates were waiting for a big game out of me and I was too. ... I had to play thought-free and just react and play."

Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur also played well for the Jazz. Williams posted 18 points and 12 assists for his team, while Okur added 22 points for Utah, but the Jazz really left the game up to Boozer.

Deron Williams appreciates the importance of Boozer on his team.

"I think he finally got over that hump. That's big," he told the AP. "That's what we're going to need. It just takes so much pressure off everybody else when he's playing like that."

Game 4 will be held at the EnergySolutions Arena in Utah on Sunday night, where the Lakers will look to bounce back.

The Jazz had the NBA’s best regular-season home record, going 37-4 in their arena.