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SALT LAKE CITY—Kobe
Bryant frowned and pulled out his newest acquisition, an
electro-stimulation device that traveled along his
aching back.
It was
turned up a little too high for his comfort, another
microcosmic jolt felt by the Los Angeles Lakers in their
unexpectedly charged-up Western Conference semifinal
against the Utah Jazz.
Bryant
was walking gingerly and deliberately after Game Four,
as were the Lakers on the whole, unable to stop the Jazz
from tying the best-of-seven series after a 123-115
overtime victory at Energy Solutions Arena.
Game
Five is Wednesday at
Los Angeles’
Staples Center, although the events Sunday guaranteed a
Game Six in Utah.
Less of
a sure thing would be a fully healthy Bryant, probably
the last thing the Lakers wanted to ponder.
Bryant
said he felt a “catch” in his back while attempting a
15-foot turnaround on the Lakers’ second possession of
the game. He is listed as day-to-day because of back
spasms.
He
scored 33 points against the Jazz and led a comeback in
the fourth quarter with his passing (six assists),
although he missed six of seven shots in overtime and
five of six in the fourth quarter.
He has
experienced the gamut of injuries in his 12-year
career—a torn labrum in his shoulder, a handful of knee
issues, a torn finger ligament, plantar fasciitis in his
foot—but back problems are a rarity for him.
He went
down on the court twice Sunday for brief periods because
his back flared up, but said he would play in Game Five
as he walked to the team bus.
“You
know it,” he said.
The
Lakers will need a functioning Bryant, obviously, in a
series that swung the other direction after they built a
two-game lead.
Deron
Williams carved them up with 29 points and 14 assists,
and the Jazz exhibited team basketball with 32 assists
on 40 field goals.
The
Lakers had issues other than medical ones.
They
made a woeful 14 of 25 free throws (56 percent) and saw
their reserves badly outscored by those of the Jazz,
39-16.
On top
of it, Ronny Turiaf was ejected because of a flagrant
foul after sending Utah guard Ronnie Price crashing to
the court on a drive with 10:07 to go in the second
quarter. Price needed four stitches above his right eye,
and Turiaf faces a possible suspension for Game Five,
though it is unlikely.
It
wasn’t a pretty ending for the Lakers, who forced
overtime thanks to a lively rally in the final minutes.
They
trailed by 12 with four minutes to play, but Derek
Fisher connected on three three-pointers (all on assists
from Bryant) and Lamar Odom followed Bryant’s miss with
a lay-up with 4.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Fisher blocked Williams’s 20-foot attempt just before
time expired in regulation.
The
Lakers were not nearly as efficient in overtime,
compiling a log of missed shots as well as a fumbled
opportunity to take a 3-1 lead back to Los Angeles.
Bryant
missed a 22-footer and a lay-up. Pau Gasol failed on a
reverse dunk attempt. Bryant missed another lay-up, then
a three-point attempt, and the Lakers had only two
points in overtime until Bryant’s free throws with 24.5
seconds left.
By then,
the Jazz had a seven-point lead.
Lakers
coach Phil Jackson typically opens his postgame media
session with a general statement, though he did not
after Game Four.
“I
really don’t have anything to say,” he said. “I’ll just
take questions now.”
Jackson
later said he was angry at Bryant’s teammates for giving
Bryant the ball too quickly on overtime possessions, and
then standing around and watching.
“I felt
guys just bailed out on him,”
Jackson
said.
Odom and
Gasol combined for two shots and two points in overtime.
Overall, Odom had 26 points and 13 rebounds; Gasol had
23 points and 10 rebound.
Bryant
spoke to reporters for only a minute and 45 seconds
before leaving to continue what will be a couple of
days’ worth of electro-stim therapy.
During
the game, he had a heat wrap on his lower back when on
the bench. He also laid down on the court next to the
Lakers’ bench for a few minutes at the end of the third
quarter.
Bryant,
after getting his shot blocked on a lay-up attempt late
in the third quarter, fell to the court and remained on
his back while the Lakers gave up a lay-up at the other
end. He eventually got up, slowly.
He also
dropped to his knees after drawing a blocking foul on
Andrei Kirilenko with 2:53 left in overtime. Bryant
slapped the court with his hands and stayed hunched over
for several seconds before getting up.
“The
back’s a little different because you’ve got to make
some adjustments,” he said. “You can’t run like you want
to, cut like you want to.”
Words
the Lakers didn’t want to hear in a series they
certainly didn’t want to turn into this.
Spurs
and Hornets also all even
IN San
Antonio, Tim Duncan had 22 points and 15 rebounds, and
San Antonio
beat New Orleans to even the Western Conference
semifinals at 2-2.
Tony
Parker added 21 points for the Spurs, who led nearly the
entire game and are assured of a Game Six back in
San Antonio.
Chris Paul scored 23 for the Hornets, who trailed by as
many as 27.
Game 5
is Tuesday in
New Orleans.
The
Hornets’ David West had three blocks but was held to 10
points on four-of-15 shooting and was visibly
frustrated. Reserve Jannero Pargo scored 11 for the
Hornets. |
