Just in case the Jazz forgot how Kobe Bryant finishes games, he provided another painful playoff reminder.
Bryant scored 11 of his 31 points in the final four minutes, and the Lakers blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 104-99 victory over the Jazz in their second-round series opener yesterday.
Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the top-seeded Lakers, who played a dismal final period before Bryant seized control. He coolly scored seven consecutive points to erase Utah’s four-point lead, followed by a dynamic slice through the lane for a layup with 22.6 seconds left.
The clubs are meeting in the postseason for the third consecutive year after the Lakers ended Utah’s last two seasons, including a first-round victory in 2009.
Deron Williams scored 24 points for fifth-seeded Utah, which managed just one more field goal after taking a 93-89 lead with 4:10 to play.
Lakers center Andrew Bynum started and played 24 minutes after discovering a small tear in the meniscus of his right knee Saturday.
HAWKS TAKE GAME 7
The Hawks weren’t going to let another game slip away on their home court.
After keeping their season alive with a gutty win in Milwaukee, the Hawks made sure the Bucks were in no position to duplicate their improbable Game 5 upset. Jamal Crawford scored 22 points, Al Horford put up a double-double and the Hawks pulled away for a 95-74 win in Atlanta that gave them a 4-3 triumph in the tougher-than-expected series.
“We let ’em down in Game 5,” Josh Smith said. “We enjoyed every minute of this.”