With the Los Angeles Lakers owning the NBA's best record at 42-9 and having just completed a 6-0 road trip, Deron Williams summed up simply what the Jazz would have to do to win Wednesday: "Everything's got to go right for us."
Everything did as the Jazz went into the All-Star break with their first defining victory of an injury-ravaged season. They gave away a nine-point lead in the final six minutes, but regrouped to beat the Lakers 113-109 at EnergySolutions Arena. What Eastern Conference heavyweights Boston and Cleveland couldn't do last week -- protect their home court against the Lakers -- the Jazz did without either Carlos Boozer or Andrei Kirilenko in the lineup.
Williams finished with 31 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, while Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 37, though he made only 6 of 20 shots in the second half. The Lakers had been an NBA-best 18-5 on the road before Wednesday.
After giving up a 13-3 run and watching their nine-point lead disappear, the Jazz came out of a timeout with 1:36 left and regained the advantage as Paul Millsap dunked as part of a three-point play off a Williams pass.
The Lakers tied the score as Bryant followed up a missed shot and hit a layup after ripping away the ball from Kyle Korver. But Mehmet Okur's three-pointer with 42.8 seconds left put the Jazz in front for good.
Bryant missed a three-pointer at the other end and Millsap came down with the rebound. Williams went to the line twice, but made only one of two free throws both times, leaving the Lakers a chance to tie in the final 20 seconds.
Derek Fisher got a clean look at a three-pointer, but had it bounce off the rim. Fisher got a second look as Lamar Odom saved the rebound from going out of bounds but missed everything on a running three-pointer.
