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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:49 p.m., Thursday, April 23, 2009

NBA playoffs: Boozer leads Jazz past Lakers, back into series

By DOUG ALDEN
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY — Deron Williams hit a fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds left to give Utah an 88-86 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, getting the Jazz back into the first-round playoff series.

Carlos Boozer tied a franchise playoff record with 22 rebounds and scored 23 points as the Jazz pulled within 2-1 in the series. Game 4 is Saturday night in Utah.

Williams finished with 13 points and nine assists, winning it with only his third field goal of the night.

The Lakers had a chance to win, but Kobe Bryant's 3-pointer at the buzzer was way off and the Jazz celebrated their first win of the postseason.

Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Bryant scored 18 despite going just 5-for-24 from the floor. Pau Gasol added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers.

The Jazz avoided falling behind 3-0 in the series by winning a wild one. Both teams were sporadic, excelling one quarter and stalling the next. Utah regrouped after scoring just 17 in both the second and third quarters with an inspired fourth, outscoring the Lakers 28-18 and retaking the lead every time Los Angeles tied it down the stretch.

The Jazz took a two-point lead four times in the final two minutes and the Lakers finally ran out of time.

Odom tied it at 82 on a layup with 1:07 left, then Boozer put Utah back up with a layup 20 seconds later. Bryant tied it again with 28 seconds to go, then Boozer spun around Gasol for a dunk to give Utah the lead again with 16.9 seconds to go.

Gasol matched Boozer's dunk with his own to tie it again at 86 with 11.7 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Williams came through with a jumper after struggling with his shot most of the night.

Williams finished 3-for-7 and was just 7-for-12 from the foul line, but had more support Thursday than he had in the first two games of the series.

The Lakers shot 58 percent while taking a 2-0 series lead, but the shots weren't falling most of Game 3. Los Angeles finished 32-for-87.