Only four days after getting embarrassed with a six-point fourth quarter in which they missed their first dozen shots, the Jazz will get a second crack at the Lakers when they host the defending champions Saturday. It will be the Lakers' first trip to Utah since they eliminated the Jazz from the playoffs for the second consecutive season. After bouncing back to beat the Magic on Thursday in the second game of a back-to-back set, Carlos Boozer said it would be good to face the Lakers so quickly again.
"Yeah, so we can learn," Boozer said. "They're where we're trying to get to. They're the champions. We got blown out over there in that fourth quarter and we're looking forward to playing them. They're a very good basketball team and we'll learn from our mistakes."
The Jazz went 2-for-18 in the fourth quarter against the Lakers and committed nine turnovers, including three shot-clock violations. They came within a point of equaling the franchise record for the lowest-scoring quarter in history.
Kobe Bryant finished with 27 points, eight assists and six rebounds, including 13 points in the third quarter. Pau Gasol had a quiet second half as the Lakers got a lift from Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown and Sasha Vujacic after halftime.
It will be the end of a "Championship Week" of sorts for the Jazz, who beat the Spurs on Monday, lost to the Lakers on Wednesday and beat the Magic on Thursday.
JAZZ 120, MAGIC 111: The Jazz rallied after falling behind by 18 points in the second quarter, took the lead with a 38-point third quarter and never looked back in ending the Magic's eight-game road winning streak. The Jazz scored 68 points in the second half and committed just six turnovers in the game.
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