Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Pau Gasol added 22 in a 119-109 win over the Utah Jazz, giving Los Angeles a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round Western Conference playoff series.
"It was an offensive display, not always great ballhandling, but a lot of scoring," Bryant said. "That was a trial out there and they threw some new things at us."
Lamar Odom added 19 coming in off the bench and Lakers' coach Phil Jackson notched his 195th career playoff win on Tuesday, the most of any coach in NBA history.
Deron Williams scored a career playoff-high 35 points and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz, who head home for Game 3 on Thursday. They again played without injured center Mehmet Okur.
Utah lost its 11th in a row at Staples Center, including playoff games.
"I really don't know what to expect out of this team in Utah," Jackson said. "We've gone in there and won in the past. We feel like we can go in there again and do the job."
(AP via China Daily April 23, 2009)
