When the superstar was hobbling, the others stood up. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom led a very impressive Laker effort Wednesday night with Kobe Bryant playing in a limited role.
Bryant didn't attempt a field goal in the fourth quarter. He actually took a total of only ten shots the whole game, but still managed to score 26 points. He also had six rebounds and seven assists.
At the end of the first quarter, the game was 29-26, with Los Angeles having the advantage. The Lakers had just ended the first period on a horrible streak, giving up eleven turnovers and nine points.
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But after that, credit must go to Odom and Gasol for turning things around for good.
Los Angeles decided to try a different approach with Boozer Wednesday night—let Gasol guard him. Boozer had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The decision to put the fast Odom on Mehmet Okur was also a good one. Okur was limited to shots beyond the arc last night.
Even though the Lakers had an apparent and obvious speed advantage on the Utah starters, every starter on both squads scored in double figures.
The series will now travel back to Utah, where Los Angeles will attempt to win away from the Staples Center. So far this series, all the games have been won by the home team.
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