7:44 - Good ball movement creates an easy layup for LO.  Kobe starts out by taking it a few steps into the paint, stops, a dribble or two as help approaches for Brewer, then passes to Ronny cutting into the paint.  A wrap around from Ronny to LO and you're looking at a very pretty (and unfairly uncontested) deuce.

6:48 - Some VERY impressive D leads to some VERY impressive O.  Ronny finds himself isolated against Boozer on the low block, but successfully holds his ground and forces an airballed hook shot.  The rebound goes to Kobe, who sprints downcourt, then takes into an even bigger overdrive, the jets propelling him as he throws down with authority.

5:49 - More wrap around passes (this time from Kobe to LO) leads to the and-one bucket opportunity for LO.  He misses the freebie, but puts the Lakers up by a dozen.

5:06 - Think Kobe was amped about the setup that led to his and one layup?  Before going to the line to convert, he walked to the other end of the court to congratulate a trailing Fish for intercepting Deron Williams' behind the back bounce pass, then gave Ronny an enthusiastic tap on the head for the bouncer that set up the basket. 

2:31 - A quick three ball from Vladdy helps silence the crowd a bit after a long jumper from Boozer and the rare airball by Kobe (this one from distance).

1:47 - Farmar checks into the game and not 20 seconds pass before he sets up Vlad for a make from downtown.  That's a nice way to get the bench mob contributions rolling.

42.0 -  Some great combined defensive efforts under the Laker bucket but Ronny and LO prevent Paul Millsap fvrom getting off a good shot, whether on the orginal take or the putback attempt.  LO eventually snags the ball and shuttles it to Farmar, who pulls up for the 20-footer.  Money.

End of the first.  Lakers 38, Jazz 18.  To say the very least, the Lakers are playing some very effective ball.  75% shooting.  40% for their foe.  10 assists in the first 12 minutes (and that's not a typo).  Winning the board battle 10-9.  Only one turnover.  If they can bottle this stuff up and find the right brewing plant, Gasol and Bynum's absence will become considerably easier.  Let's see how the next frame goes.

SECOND QUARTER

9:46 - Farmar on Okur is a size mismatch, but the real problem is that he gave the shooter way too much space along the arc.  Three ball is good.

9:17 - The crowd wanted an over the back called against Ronny while snagging a rebound away from two Jazzmen in traffic.  No whistle and Turiaf tosses the ball out of the scrum and into Sasha's mitts.  Sasha launches the deep ball.  Net.  Lakers up by 19.

7:53 - Sasha does a good job pestering Deron Williams around the arc, bever allowing him much of a look on the rimmed three ball.  The loose rock goes to Farmar, who cruises coast to coast for the layup.

6:40 - A bad pass from Walton goes out of bounds.  Jazz ball.  Ronny doesn't close out quick enough on Okur.  Three ball is good.  Ronny acquits himself, however, by driving to the lane and drawing the foul on Okur at the rack.  The contact causes a scratch and some blood near Ronny's elbow, but he's tossed a wrist band by a equipment guy, which he pulls up around the arm.  Very resourceful folks, those trainers.

1:47 - You don't see a ton of Vlad Rad posterizations.  But they'll be decorating homes in teenage wanna be ballers with that one.

1:03 - The mid-range J from Walton rims short, but LO is there for the offensive board, putback and whistle drawn on D-Williams for his troubles.   The Laker lead kicks back up to 17. 

24.3 - A blown gimme layup by C.J. Miles inspires a blown gimme layup by Walton.  One bad turn deserves another, I guess. 

The half finds down 60-45 in the Lakers favor.  The first quarter lead was shunk down by 5, but still, the Lakers aren't in any danger of losing this one.  That being said, it doesn't mean they're invulnerable.  The Jazz outboarded this period and showed more signs of life.  No need to worry, but no need to kick it into cruise control.  We'll see what happens in the third.

THIRD QUARTER

9:43 - Second time this frame Kobe's driven hard along the baseline and picked up the foul while throwing down (or in this case, getting fouled in prevention of throwing down).  Two shots for Kobe, and the first rattles out.  That's now 2-5 for Kobe at the line.  Very un-Bryant like.  Moreover, LO is 2-4.  You don't want to see this become habitual or contagious. 

7:52 - LO doesn't close out quickly enough on Okur along the arc.  The spiky one connects, one possession after Boozer connected on the and-one dunk at Ronny's expense.  The Jazz have

6:55 - The crowd's seriously getting back into this thing (and likely causing me to go deaf before the night is done).  Thankfully (for me and the Lakers), a three ball from Vladdy quiets them down a smidge. 

6:32 - AK-47 is left way too unguarded under the basket, making the rocket pass from Williams easy to convert.  But before the Jazz can try to create a roll of sorts, Fish connects from the corner right in front of the courtside Jazz fans that once loved him.

5:42 -Turiaf skies, and I mean SKIES for a board, so high he almost mistimes the jump.  But he secures the miss and shuttles it to Kobe, who takes a few dribbles inside and eventually whips the wrap around to LO.  First attempt is off.  The second is good. 

4:36 - A missed 24-footer by Fish lands in Boozer's hands and immeduiately goes to Williams, who sprints downcourt and eases a layup off the rim and barely into the cylinder.  All of a sudden, the Jazz are within 11 and the Lakers look to be on their heels. 

3:12 - I don't know Brewer's game well enough to know if the mid-range part of the court is his proverbial "game."  But I do know he just canned one over Vladdy.

2:31 - Little time elapses after a Laker timeout before Kobe pulls up good from 20 out.  I can't say for sure whether Phil told Kobe specifically to make a basket, but if so, nice thinking on the Zen Master's part.

45.8 - Fantastic play by LO after Farmar allowed himself to get stripped.  Paul Milsap ended up under the basket and attempting the layup, but LO went up for the block and pinned it, eventually getting the ball into Laker hands.  Unfortunately, the possession wound up a missed three by Farmar and Walton went over Harpring's back trying to grab the errant shot.  Both freebies go down for the vet. 

The quarter ends with the Lakers up 81, 69.  It's easy to be down on the frame, but really it could have been worse.  Things were looking kinda ragged for a lot of the quarter.  In particular, the Lakers need to do a better job keeping Utah of the glass.  Specifically, the offensive glass.  The Jazz have an unlucky 13 and counting to their name.  Let's see if the Lakers can regain what they had.  12 more minutes to go.

FOURTH QUARTER

11:02 - Good D by the Jazz force the Lakers to keep swinging the ball around.  Good patience by the Lakers prevent a bad, forced shot.  With two seconds on the shot clock, Farmar buries a huge three from the corner.  The next possession sees Farmar hit Sasha with a crosscourt dish the Slovenian puts up in rythym from behind the arc.  The Lakers go up by 16.

9:12 - Turiaf buries a jumper from about two feet inside the arc.  The Lakers have done a great job extending the lead with Kobe actually getting a breather.

8:28 - Walton's open in the paint with about four seconds on the clock.  Instead of putting up the shot or driving, he hesitates, allowing the D to adjust.  He ends up rushing a shot that banks of the backboard and doesn't hit rim. 

7:49 - Turiaf picks up his fifth.  This could be an issue. Unless the Lakers wanna go small or bring Mbenga into the action, they don't really have a great matchup for Boozer.  LO will do in a pinch and may very well pull it off, but he's not ideal.  He takes a seat on the pine and is none too thrilled about it.  Kobe's back in.

6:44 - Walton looks like he's in "frustrated, head-down" mode as he drives the lane, not necessarily looking like he has a plan and definitely looking like he might have walked.  He gets bailed out, however, when Harpring fouls him on the way to the bucket.  As a fan next to me comments, "Two slow white guys.  How painful is that?"

5:13 - Kobe buries a jumper just inside to bump the lead to 13.

4:22 - A layup by Boozer brings it back to 10.  Make it a dozen, after another jumper from Kobe.

3:44 - Kobe gets called for contact against Williams behind the arc, leading to the rare four point play after the shot goes down.  The one at the stripe is also good.  Kobe wastes little time making up for it, taking the ball straight to the rack for a forceful throwdown. 

With just under a minute to go, Kobe snags his 8th board, then gets himself to the line for a pair.  Both go down.  The Lakers are back up by 12.  Even after Williams buries a three over Fish, this one should be done.

21.2 - LO throws down and apparenrly, some jazz fan didn't like it and chose to throw a water bottle as a means of expressing disatisfaction.  Play stops to clean it up.  Stay classy, Utah.

HUGE KOOOOO-BBBBBEEE chant from the Laker fans still sticking around.  And that's not a small contingent, by the way.

Final score: Lakers 106, Jazz 95.  The Lakers were never able to put Utah entirely out of harm's way, but never lost control of the action, either.  Some late action heroics from Kobe were huge and contributions were on display from LO, Turiaf, Farmar, and basically everyone shooting threes on the night.  Nice to walk away with the split.  More to come later.  Thanks for keeping me company.