Los Angeles Lakers score a comfortable 96-71 win over Utah Jazz: NBA Recap
After two losses in as many nights, the Los Angeles Lakers had an easy night out against the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center as they strolled to a 96 – 71 win. The Lakers remained in the ascendancy pretty much throughout the game and crossed the finish line with time to spare as the Jazz were left trailing in their wake.
Kobe Bryant was the star as usual for the Lakers. The guard had a productive night out with 26 points, 5 assists and 8 rebounds to his name. Pau Gasol narrowly missed out on a double-double with 22 points and 9 rebounds while Metta World Peace came off the bench to net 14.
It said much about the Jazz that their best performance came off the bench. Paul Millsap, who started the game as a reserve, scored a team high 18 points and the second highest for the team was also scored by a bencher in Josh Howard. None of the Jazz starters could make it into double figures as the Los Angeles defence completely stifled their productivity.
The game began on a fairly even note as the two sides engaged in cautious skirmishes in the first quarter. Neither team would set the scoreboard on fire, but they kept each other in check nonetheless.
That changed in the second quarter as Los Angeles looked to shift gears. They used a 13 – 0 run, sparked by a Kobe Bryant jumper, to establish a strong advantage that would take them into the break up by double digits at 41 – 31.
The interval didn’t seem to have slowed Los Angeles down one bit and they came out firing with a 10 – 2 burst to start the second half. This was followed by a 17 – 4 throttle as Utah simply fell apart, and fell behind by a staggering 29 points. They ended the quarter down by 25 points, the score 71 – 46 to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles took mercy on the Jazz and sent out the bench players in the 4th quarter. The Lakers strolled through the final period, keeping the Jazz at bay. The game petered out to an unremarkable end at 96 – 71.
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