The Jazz found themselves in the same position a year ago against the Lakers in the conference semifinals, returning to Utah for Game 3 trailing 2-0. They evened the series before eventually falling to the Lakers in six games.
Although they went 33-8 at home this season, the Jazz did not have the same invincibility they did last season. They dropped home games in April to lottery-bound Minnesota and a seven-man Golden State team missing its four leading scorers. Even so, the Jazz were optimistic they would play better in Utah than they did in Los Angeles, where the Lakers shot nearly 58 percent, scored 113 and 119 points and hit 18 of 35 three-pointers in winning Games 1 and 2.
"Regardless of those last couple games, we're a lot better home team," Deron Williams said.
"They were supposed to win these two games. They did what they're supposed to do, so now we've got to go and do what we're supposed to do -- win at home and hopefully even it back up and come back out here with a chance to steal one again."
The Lakers hit the Jazz with a 41-point first quarter in Game 2 in which they shot 18 for 21 (85.7 percent) with four 3-pointers and pile up 24 points in the paint. It was the second-highest point total in one quarter by an opponent in Jazz playoff history.
That left the Jazz playing from behind for the second consecutive game, after trailing by 22 at halftime of Sunday's Game 1. They closed within three points in the fourth quarter but couldn't overcome 20 turnovers that the Lakers converted into 34 points.
LAKERS 119, JAZZ 109: The Lakers led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter and 20 in the first half in taking a 2-0 series lead over the Jazz. Kobe Bryant led with 26 points and nine assists, Pau Gasol had 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting and Lamar Odom had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting. Gasol atoned for two late missed free throws by blocking shots by Deron Williams and Ronnie Brewer to force a shot-clock violation.
