Yes, He's Still The Same Ballhog

Today in Salt Lake City, the Jazz did more than draw even in their best of 7 series with the Lake Show. Instead, for the first time in the playoffs, they made Kobe and Co look beatable, in a 123-115 overtime win that seemed easier than it was.

One signature play came with 7:18 left -- Luke Walton, all alone, was rejected by backup point guard Ronnie Price, sporting a 4-stitch cut on his eyebrow after a second quarter flagrant foul from Lakers big Rony Turiaf. So while the Jazz were a little fortunate to be ahead, thanks to a ton of Laker misses from the line in the first half, they look more problematic now.

The Lakers refused to go away, with a 12-2 run late in the fourth when it looked over, with Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher doing the damage. But the Lakers weren't able to shut off Deron Williams, who scored over Gasol with 66 seconds left on an out of control dribblefest where he was inches away from a backcourt violation. (You know, people talk all the time about the Hawks passing up Chris Paul, but they also whiffed on Williams, who went a pick later.)

Goat horns go to your MVP choice (not mine), who went 13 of 33 while taking more than 1 out of every 3 Laker shots. Making the selfishness even less palatable was the fact that Bryant was in obvious back pain for most of the game; he didn't have his usual quicks, and Andrei Kirilenko smelled it, with five blocked shots and exceptionally confident 1-on-1 defense. The last Lakers shot of the overtime was an airball 3 from Bryant, not that it mattered at that point.

Both teams looked sloppy and gassed in the overtime, but Mehmet Okur made a couple of jumpers, and the Jazz had ball movement, while the Lakers had a half-speed Bryant trying to force it. And just that fast, the series will go 6.

Can the Jazz win 2 of the next 3? If we've learned anything from this playoff season, it's to never underestimate the power of a home court on secondary players. The Lakers also still own this series at the line, which is even more telling for the team with home court advantage. If Bryant is more than 80%, I think the Lake Show still takes this in 6 or 7.

But if the Lakers are having this much trouble with Williams and Carlos Boozer, they're really not going to do well with Paul and West, or Parker and Duncan... who are, frankly, better than the Jazz duo.

Plus, where the Jazz throw Harpring, Korver, Brewer, Millsap and anyone else that's willing to be on a poster at Bryant, the Bugs and Spurs have more live bodies and sharper defensive bigs. The Spurs also, of course, aren't above making Bryant's back much worse; this is, after all, what Mssrs. Bowen and Horry are for.

So while the Jazz may not win this series, I'm thinking that they're going to keep the Lakers from winning the next one. You know, the same way the Cavs are working the Celtics...