(Best E Casino) - The top-seeded
Los Angeles Lakers and the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz battle in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals.
This is the fourth time the Lakers and Jazz have met in the playoffs. Los Angeles defeated the Jazz in seven games in the 1988 West semis. Utah knocked out the Lakers in five, 4-1, in the 1997 semifinals and swept LA in the 1998 conference finals.
During the regular season, the Lakers won three of the four meetings between the clubs. LA captured a pair of games at the Staples Center and defeated the Jazz, 106-95, on March 20 at EnergySolutions Arena.
The Lakers had no problem winning the opening round of the playoffs. They swept Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and the eighth-seeded Nuggets, 4-0. Denver is 2-13 against the Lakers in the playoffs, and has lost all four series.
Los Angeles earned its first sweep since defeating the New Jersey Nets, 4-0, in the 2002 NBA Finals. The Lakers are back in the semifinals for the first time since 2004. They defeated Houston in five games in round one, San Antonio in six in the semis, Minnesota in six in the West semis and fell to Detroit in five contests in the NBA Finals that year.
Superstar Kobe Bryant, who has reportedly won his first NBA MVP according to the Los Angeles Times and will receive the hardware from commissioner David Stern at some point during the semifinals, averaged 33.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in round one for the Lakers, who defeated the Nuggets by an average of 13.3 points per game. A 10-time All-Star, Bryant shot 50.0 percent from the floor, including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Bryant, who has won three rings during his career, got plenty of help from forwards Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Luke Walton. Gasol, who was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies on February 1, posted 22.3 points and 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while Odom registered 11.8 points, 9.3 boards and 4.5 helpers.
The 27-year-old Gasol, who was 0-12 during a three-year run in the postseason with the Grizzlies, will play in the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his career. He shot 58.2 percent from the floor against the Nuggets.
Walton contributed 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists against Denver, and veteran guard Derek Fisher shot 50 percent from three-point range and averaged 8.5 points per contest.
Head coach Phil Jackson knows how to win in the playoffs. Jackson has won nine championship rings as a coach. He led the Lakers to three titles in his first four years in LA, and guided the Chicago Bulls to six championships. He is an impressive 183-77 in the postseason.
LA center Andrew Bynum reportedly won't return during the postseason. Bynum was averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in 35 games before he went down with a partially dislocated left kneecap and a bone bruise. The 20-year-old Bynum last played on January 13 against the Grizzlies.
The Lakers have been victorious in four of their last five trips to the semifinals. They fell in six games, 4-2, to the Spurs in the 2003 Western Conference semis.
In the regular season, Los Angeles won its first Pacific Division crown since the 2003-04 campaign, when Shaquille O'Neal was trying to lead the Lakers to their fourth title in five years.
Utah, which won its second straight Northwest Division crown during the regular season, has made it to the West semis for the second straight year. Last year, the Jazz knocked off the Golden State Warriors, 4-1, in this round and fell to the San Antonio Spurs, 4-1, in the conference finals. The Jazz are 6-6 all-time in the semifinals.
The Jazz needed six games to eliminate Tracy McGrady and the fifth-seed Houston Rockets in the quarterfinals. Point guard Deron Williams led Utah in scoring (20.8 ppg) and assists (8.5 apg) in the opening round, while All-Star forward Carlos Boozer contributed 16.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Williams shot 53 percent from the field, including an impressive 59.1 percent (13-for-22) from three-point range.
Center Mehmet Okur had a strong series against Houston, as he posted 13.2 points and a team-best 12.7 rebounds. The 6-11 Okur shot 35 percent (7-for-20) from beyond the arc. Forward Andrei Kirilenko and guard Ronnie Brewer both averaged 9.3 points in the first round.
Head coach Jerry Sloan has guided the Jazz to the playoffs for the 17th time during his tenure with the club. Sloan, who has been the general on the Utah bench since the 1988-89 campaign, is 91-90 all-time in the playoffs -- 89-86 with the Jazz.
STARTING FRONTCOURT:
Both teams have a lot of size up front. Gasol, Odom and Vladimir Radmanovic, who averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds against Denver, versus Okur, Boozer and Kirilenko is an even matchup.
Gasol is the low-post scorer the Lakers needed to get the m over the hump, while Odom can knock down an 18-to-20 foot jumper and is effective moving to the hoop. The 6-10 Radmanovic does his best work from the perimeter.
Boozer has developed into a dominant low-post player for the Jazz. He will account for the majority of their scoring in the paint, while Okur will burn the Lakers if they don't defend him outside and the athletic Kirilenko is very tough defensively and runs the floor well.
EDGE: EVEN
STARTING BACKCOURT:
LA's Bryant and Fisher get the nod over Brewer and Williams. The Jazz are going to have to contain Bryant if they hope to have any chance in the series. The problem is that the Lakers' All-Star guard can take over a game whenever he wants to.
Williams will be tough guard for the Lakers, but they will try and make him get rid of the ball early and prevent the Illinois product from having any rhythm offensively. The 6-7 Brewer will needed to be physical with Bryant and treat him the same way LA is going to defend Williams.
Bryant and Fisher have won championships (2000-02) together and will take care of business against the Jazz' backcourt.
EDGE: LAKERS
BENCH:
Jackson called on Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Walton to carry his bench in round one. The 6-7 Vujacic averaged 7.8 points and shot 50 percent (8- for-16) from beyond the arc, while Farmar 6.3 points and 2.3 assists.
Walton will split time with Radmanovic. He works well in Jackson's triangle offense because of his passing ability. Forward Ronny Turiaf, who played in two games against the Nuggets, gives the Lakers energy and an emotional lift when he is on the court.
The Jazz have some fire power on the bench in sharp-shooting Kyle Korver, who averaged 7.2 points versus Houston. Korver is instant offense and stretches the oppositions defense. He is a big help to Boozer when his shot is falling.
Swingman Matt Harpring is not afraid to get his hands dirty, while 6-8 Paul Millsap can play both forward spots for the Jazz. Ronnie Price will spell Williams when Utah's starting point guard needs a breather.
EDGE: EVEN
PREDICTION: These teams are very similar. The difference will be the ability of Bryant to take over games during crunch time. The All-Star guard wants the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. This is his time to shine.
It will be a long, physical series. Boozer and Williams will get the Jazz to a seventh game, but in the end Kobe and the Lakers will advance.
LAKERS IN SEVEN
