Los Angeles Lakers: The Road Leads to Western Conference Finals

The battle lines have been drawn and the stage has been set.  The only question that I had was who was going to step up?

In the unfriendly confines of Utah, Kobe Bryant had 34 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and went 15-of-17 from the free throw line.  He helped the Lakers hold off a furious late run by the Jazz to win game six 108-105.

The Lakers came out with a tremendous start. The last two games in Utah, the Jazz was the team that got off to the fast start and had the early lead that had the Lakers playing from behind.

The Lakers started the game with a 7-0 run to start the game before the Jazz scored their first basket. The Lakers' hot start continued, and the lead increased to double digits.

The Lakers came out and displayed an active defense that caused several turnovers. The Lakers' defense got them in transition and the Lakers had an 11-0 lead in fast break points.

Their defense was dictating their offense as the first quarter ended 33-20 Lakers.

The Lakers were in a great rhythm and continued to increase their lead in the second quarter, and the Jazz had no answer.

The Lakers executed their offense so well and played such excellent defense that the Jazz weren’t able to catch them.

All five of the Lakers' starters scored in double figures as well as Sasha Vujacic off the bench. The Lakers were putting on a beautiful basketball display, and the Utah faithful was in disbelief.

The Lakers achieved what they wanted a quiet Energy Solutions Arena.

The Lakers shot 50 percent from the floor and held the Jazz to 33 percent shooting from the floor and 22 percent shooting from three-point range.  The score at the half was 62-43 Lakers.

I knew the Jazz would come out and play a furious second half. I expected Jazz coach Jerry Sloan to get a technical foul to fire up his team.

I expected the Jazz to come out and play much more physical in the second half. The Jazz made a push in the third quarter, but the score after three quarters was 86-70 Lakers.

The Utah Jazz cut into the Lakers' lead using a solid performance by Paul Milsap. He helped fuel the Utah rally.  He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. The Jazz went on a 12-2 run to cut the Lakers' lead to 91-84.

Jazz forward Carlos Boozer was in foul trouble the entire night, and he fouled out at the 4:34 mark with the score 96-86.

Boozer finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. That tremendous defense the Lakers played earlier in the game was nowhere to be found.

The Jazz weren't going away quietly, in the midst of incredible shooting hit five three-pointers. The Jazz were putting on a tremendous finish fighting for their playoff lives. 

Pau Gasol scored 17 points and 13 rebounds. The Lakers made 11 of 13 foul shots to hold off the Jazz rally.

Kobe Bryant did take over late and had eight points and six assists in the quarter. The Jazz had a chance to tie the score but Mehmet Okur and Deron Williams missed three point shots as time expired, 108-105 Lakers!

The win has sent the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in four years, and it was the only road win in this series and the second in the semi-final round of the playoffs.

Now the Lakers have the opportunity to rest and watch a game seven to find out who their next opponent will be.