Jazz holds off Lakers, Spurs crush Hornets

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah: The Utah Jazz needed overtime to down the Lakers while the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a rout of New Orleans on Sunday to square both Western Conference series in the National Basketball Association playoffs.

Deron Williams scored 29 points with 14 assists for the Jazz, who blew a sizeable fourth-quarter lead but eked out the 123-115 overtime triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers to knot their best-of-seven second-round series at two games apiece.

Reigning NBA champion San Antonio then leveled its series against the New Orleans Hornets at 2-2 with a 100-80 home win.

Spurs superstar Tim Duncan collected 22 points and 15 rebounds and Tony Parker added 21 points to send San Antonio into Game 5 in New Orleans on Tuesday on even terms.

Chris Paul scored 23 points for the Hornets, who are unbeaten at home in the postseason.

In Salt Lake City, newly crowned NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant was clearly struggling much of the game with a sore back.

He scored 33 points but managed just eight in the fourth quarter and overtime for the Lakers, who host Game 5 on Wednesday.

Williams' most important assist of the game went to Andrei Kirilenko for a dunk with 36 seconds remaining in overtime. Kirilenko drew the foul and converted the three-point play to give the Jazz a five-point cushion.

On the Lakers' next possession, Bryant misfired on a wild drive to the basket. Carlos Boozer grabbed the rebound and quickly got the ball to Utah's best foul shooter, Kyle Korver, who buried two shots from the line to help seal the win.

The Jazz went 6-of-6 from the line in the final 30 seconds to preserve the victory.

The Lakers had erased a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Lamar Odom's putback tying the game with 4.6 seconds left.

They were never able to gain the upper hand in overtime, however.

"You know they've got the ability to come back, we just hoped we'd have enough energy," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "Fortunately we had enough to get it into overtime and win the ball game."

The Lakers' Derek Fisher was neutralized in the first half due to early foul trouble, but came back to hurt his former team with three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter before fouling out.

Reserve Lakers forward Ronny Turiaf, a valuable rebounder and inside presence, was ejected two minutes into the second period after knocking Jazz guard Ronnie Price hard to the floor.

Price was cutting to the basket, when a foul was called on Sasha Vujacic. After the whistle, Frenchman Turiaf hammered Price, who suffered a cut above his right eye which required four stitches.

"When Price is going for the layup, my job is to block the shot," Turiaf said. "Unfortunately we collided and he fell to the floor. When I saw him on the floor I felt sorry for him because he's one of my friends in the NBA. The way everybody reacted, calling me names and all that stuff ..."

Turiaf said it was torture watching the game from his exile in the locker room.

"To be in here and see those guys out there without me was very difficult," he said.

"I guess it was my fault for putting myself in position like that, but it's very unfortunate."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he thought the call was harsh.

"Ronny did go up to block the shot, but I thought he entirely played the ball. I was very surprised he was put out of the ball game and I told him so," Jackson said.

AFP

(China Daily 05/13/2008 page24)