Lakers 104, Jazz 99 (Lakers lead 1-0)

Going into Game 1 of this series, some felt the emotionally draining close out game the Lakers won on Friday in OKC could result in a first game upset at the Staples Center. Close, but no cigar, Utah. The Lakers came out to a demanding lead, which the Jazz fought back to take back. But the Lakers once again showed us that hustle and determination is still not enough to beat their core superstars in the end.

It only took 20 seconds and we were reminded of Deron Williams’ injured left arm (from Game 6 of the Nuggets series). In the game’s opening play, Williams was fouled on a jumper by Derek Fisher. Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan was forced to take a timeout because Williams seemed too injured to take the free throws. By rule, if Williams was unable to take the free throws due to injury in a non-flagrant foul situation, he would be unable to re-enter the game. Fisher’s foul was not flagrant, and Williams ended up sinking both free throws following the timeout. Then, next time down the court, Williams dumped in a three-pointer. Game on.

The importance of D-Williams to the Jazz is incredible. I want to compare it to the way that Russell Westbrook tore up the Lakers early in that series, but wouldn’t be fair to one of the best in the game. Williams has the ability to see through the defense and get the ball to his scorers, or just score on his own! Lucky for Utah, he was able to play through this game scoring 24 points with 8 assists.

The Jazz did have other first half issues though, as they weren’t playing any defense. In the first nine minutes of the game, it seemed like the Lakers were getting completely uncontested shots. That allowed them to score 30 points in the quarter. However, they were able to stay in the game (seriously don’t ask me how!). Their defense changed in the second half though, as Los Angeles lead 53-45 at the half.

The hustle of Wesley Matthews and CJ Miles played a big part in the second half. They fought for loose balls and rebounded with authority despite their smaller size. The Lakers kept shooting threes and the Jazz continued to chip away until they took an 83-82 lead with 7 minutes left in the game. This occurred despite Carlos Boozer and Williams being on the bench! Then again, the Lakers had Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on the bench too. That rest for LA ended up being worth it.

Down the stretch, Kobe took over. Everyone in the arena knew he’d have the ball in his hands, but it didn’t matter. The fans chanted MVP on the day LeBron was given his second MVP award, but Kobe responded to his fans’ chants to deliver the score reversal. Bryant shot 12-19 for 31 points, much coming in a 15-6 LA run in the final four minutes of the game. The Lakers showed up when it mattered, and I’m sure they learned not to take this team lightly, no matter who is on the floor for Utah.

Looking ahead, here are some keys to Game 2 on Tuesday in LA:

• Jazz must play first half defense. Don’t let the Lakers come out and control the paint. It’s as simple as that.
• Health of two key players. D-Williams will play no matter what, but if he isn’t on the floor for extended minutes, this team won’t win. The Lakers have an injured Andrew Bynum, who did play, but he hardly touched the floor in the second half. He’s just always injured!
• Stop Kobe Bryant. It’s not going to happen, but that is why the Jazz won’t win this series.
• Los Angeles must defend home court. Salt Lake City is a tough place to play, even for the Lakers, so winning Game 2 and holding serve is very important for the Lakers.

By the way, a couple more things to take from this game. The refs let them play despite Boozer and the Lakers’ bigs getting knocked down. The fouls were not consistently called, so that could play a factor if it stays the same, or changes. Otherwise, Lamar Odom played terrific defense on Boozer down the stretch. Pau Gasol beasted with 25 points, 12 boards, and 5 blocks. Phil Jackson is 45-0 when winning Game 1 of a series. WOW.

-Shooter