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Despite Kobe's 43, Jazz jolt Lakers
osing streak had to end when the Los Angeles Lakers met the Utah Jazz. Despite Kobe Bryant's 43-point effort, it was not the Lakers'.
Bryant was dominant for the bulk of the game - scoring 39 points through the first three quarters and making six of his first seven 3-pointers. He went cold in the fourth, however, and was part of another poor defensive effort by the Lakers, who allowed the Jazz to produce their highest points total since February 14 and top the 100-point mark for the first time since February 25. Los Angeles took an 88-82 lead into the fourth but saw it all fall apart in the final period. Behind 10 points from Matt Harpring and eight from Okur, Utah shot 73 percent (11-of-15) in the quarter and held the Lakers to just one basket over the final 7:26. Keith McLeod's jumper with four minutes left gave the Jazz the lead for good, 102-100. Following a free throw by Los Angeles forward Brian Grant, Harpring converted a three-point play to make it 105-101 with 3:09 to go. The Lakers never got any closer and had no answer for the Jazz, seeing their deficit grow to as many as 10 points in the closing moments. Harpring scored 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting and Gordan Giricek chipped in 22 as Utah finally got coach Jerry Sloan his 938th career win, tying Hall of Famer Red Auerbach for sixth on the all-time list. Bryant, who averaged 40.3 points in three games vs. the Jazz this season, was just 2-of-9 in the fourth quarter after shooting 14-of-17 through the first three. The Lakers' losing streak is their worst since the 1993-94 season and has the
club 4 1/2 games behind the Denver Nuggets in the race for the final playoff
spot in the Western Conference.
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