Kobe Bryant scored 35 points and the Los Angeles Lakers held off Utah for a 111-110 NBA playoff victory on Saturday that put them on the verge of advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Ron Artest and Derek Fisher each added 20 points for the reigning NBA champions, who seized a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven second round series and can complete a sweep of the Jazz with a victory in Game 4 today at Utah.
No team in NBA history has rallied to advance after losing the first three games of a playoff series.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“We’ve learned from our past experience. It’s a big factor for us,” Bryant said. “You have to be extremely disciplined and show poise.”
Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining to pull the Lakers level at 106 and after Utah’s Deron Williams hit a jumper, Bryant made a clutch pass to Fisher, who drained a 3-pointer to put the Lakers ahead 109-108.
Wes Matthews missed a 3-pointer and the Jazz fouled Bryant, who hit two free throws with 7.8 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a 111-108 lead.
Fisher then intentionally fouled Williams before he could launch a 3-pointer and the Jazz star hit both free throws to pull the Jazz within 111-110 with 6.1 seconds remaining.
The Lakers’ Ron Artest turned the ball over with a poor throw on the inbound pass and Utah had a last chance for the victory with 4.4 seconds remaining, but Williams missed a 3-pointer and Matthews’ tip-in bid failed at the last buzzer.
Williams scored 28 points to lead the Jazz, who also had 23 from Kyle Korver and 14 from Carlos Boozer.
A 3-point play by Matthews gave Utah a 98-93 lead with six minutes, 22 seconds remaining, but Bryant answered with a layup and the Lakers were within 98-96 with three minutes, 10 seconds to go.
Williams doubled the lead with a pair of free throws but Lamar Odom answered for the Lakers with two free throws of his own with two minutes, 48 seconds remaining, ending a scoring drought of three minutes, nine seconds in which Bryant went 0-for-4.
“We were getting great shots,” Bryant said. “It was just a matter of time before they started falling.”
Odom sank a 3-pointer and Bryant sank a baseline fadeaway jumper to put the Lakers on top 103-102 with one minute, 48 seconds to go, but Korver answered for Utah with a 3-pointer that put Utah up 105-102.
Artest missed a 3-point try from the baseline and Williams added a free throw to put Utah ahead 106-103 entering the final minute, setting the stage for more Bryant heroics.
Utah led 54-50 at half-time despite Bryant scoring 20 points for the Lakers, who had trailed by as many as 13 points at one stage.
MAGIC 105, HAWKS 75
Reigning Eastern Conference champion Orlando moved within one victory of returning to the NBA East finals by routing Atlanta 105-75 on Saturday, the Magic stretching its win streak to 13 games.
Rashard Lewis scored 22 points while Dwight Howard had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Jameer Nelson added 14 points as Orlando seized a 3-0 lead over the Hawks in the best-of-seven playoff series.
“It feels pretty good [to win by so much] but we have to keep our focus and intensity,” Howard said. “We have to not worry about the scoreboard. We are trying to do more than just win one game.”
Orlando extended an unbeaten run that includes the final six games of the regular season and a first-round sweep of Charlotte and can complete another sweep by winning Game 4 today.
“The guys know what we have to do,” Atlanta’s Al Horford said. “It’s just frustrating when the effort isn’t there.”
The Magic has not lost since falling 112-100 at San Antonio on April 2 and Orlando has not dropped back-to-back games in four months, including wins in 27 of their past 30 starts overall.
Orlando won the opener against the Hawks by 43 points and took Game 2 last Thursday by 14, humiliating an Atlanta club that was taken to the maximum seven games by Milwaukee in the first round.
With another victory, the Magic, who lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in last year’s NBA Finals, would face either Boston or Cleveland in this year’s East finals. Orlando beat Cleveland in last year’s Eastern finals.
“You can tell they’re hungry,” Atlanta’s Joe Johnson said. “They want to get back to the Finals. You can just see it.”
Johnson, who scored only eight points on 3-of-15 shooting, called it “a tough, ugly loss — embarrassing. Guys look to me for guidance. When I’m playing like that, it’s almost impossible for us to win.”
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