A
AALARD
Guest
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers 111, Utah 96
SALT LAKE CITY, (UPI) -- Paul Gasol pumped in 33 points Monday to pace the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-96 win over Utah and a sweep of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Gasol yanked down 14 rebounds and Kobe Bryant added 32 points on 11-of-23 shooting for the Lakers, who will now go on to meet the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals starting May 17 in Los Angeles.
Bryant scored at least 30 points on all four Lakers wins over Utah, the first time in Utah's franchise history an opponent has done so in a four-game playoff series.
Shannon Brown added 12 points off the bench and Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom chipped in with 10 points apiece as the Lakers reached the conference finals for the third straight year.
Deron Williams scored 21 points and distributed nine assists and Paul Millsap added 21 points off the bench in Utah's loss, the first time the Jazz has been swept in a four-game post-season series.
SALT LAKE CITY, (UPI) -- Paul Gasol pumped in 33 points Monday to pace the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-96 win over Utah and a sweep of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Gasol yanked down 14 rebounds and Kobe Bryant added 32 points on 11-of-23 shooting for the Lakers, who will now go on to meet the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals starting May 17 in Los Angeles.
Bryant scored at least 30 points on all four Lakers wins over Utah, the first time in Utah's franchise history an opponent has done so in a four-game playoff series.
Shannon Brown added 12 points off the bench and Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom chipped in with 10 points apiece as the Lakers reached the conference finals for the third straight year.
Deron Williams scored 21 points and distributed nine assists and Paul Millsap added 21 points off the bench in Utah's loss, the first time the Jazz has been swept in a four-game post-season series.