USA – Kobe & Lakers beat Jazz again in LA (+ video)

LOS ANGELES (NBA) – The NBA’s newly-crowned MVP Kobe Bryant told the Staples Center crowd “I love you guys so much” before tip-off on Wednesday night before helping bury the Utah Jazz in the Los Angeles Lakers 120-110 Game Two victory.

Bryant, the MVP for the first time in his 11-year career, had 34 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference play-off semi-final.

One of the Team USA superstars who will be on show at the Beijing Games this summer, Bryant and the Lakers took a 33-18 lead at the end of the first quarter and led the rest of the way.

Spain international Pau Gasol had 20 points and Lamar Odom scored 19 while pulling down 16 boards.

Utah did make things interesting in the final quarter, going on an 11-4 run to close the gap to just five points.

But LA’s Slovenian guard Sasha Vujacic drilled a jump shot, Derek Fisher connected from behind the arc and a Gasol free throw stretched the lead back to 105-94.

The closest Utah would get the rest of the way was six points.

The situation is looking very bleak for the Jazz.

The Lakers are coached by the legendary Phil Jackson, and he is 39-0 when his teams have opened play-off series with victories.

This season, the Lakers have won all six of their post-season games.

Deron Williams, who played for the United States last summer at the FIBA Americas Championship and is contending for a place on their Olympic team, had 25 points to lead the Jazz in defeat.

The Orlando Magic, meanwhile, played much better in front of their home fans and beat Detroit 111-86 on Wednesday.

Dwight Howard & Co now trail the Pistons 2-1 in that Eastern Conference play-off semi-final and Detroit could be in trouble because their USA international guard, Chauncey Billups, strained his groin just four minutes and into the game and did not play for the rest of the contest.

He is an uncertainty heading into Saturday’s Game Four.

Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Hedo Turkoglu 18 but the real star of the show for Orlando was Rashard Lewis.

In his first season with the Magic, Lewis had a career play-off high 33 points.

On Thursday, the defending NBA champions San Antonio Spurs, who trail their Western Conference semi-final against New Orleans 2-0, host Game Three while Boston carry a 1-0 lead into their home clash against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. 


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