Los Angeles Lakers Utah Jazz Game 5 Predictions
Written April 27, 2009 by Jason Lowry
Its all but over for the Utah Jazz in their opening round series against the top seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who took a commanding 3-1 series lead, after their 108-94 win at Utah in game 4. The Lakers head back to LA needing just one more win to move on to the 2nd round, and if the first two games at LA are any indication of what’s to come, then the Jazz might as well call it quits. After struggling to find his shot in game 3, Kobe Bryant came out firing in game 4 scoring the Lakers first 11 points on his way to a 38 point effort. The Lakers got double-doubles from both Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, as Odom had 10 points and 15 rebounds and Gasol dropped in 13 with 10 rebounds. The Lakers also got 12 points from point guard Dereck Fisher and 10 points from reserve Shannon Brown. The Jazz actually had a 5 point lead after the first quarter, but got killed in the 2nd and 3rd, getting outscored 68-44 in the middle two quarters. Deron Willams was rock solid once again, as the star point guard had 23 points and 13 assists. Carlos Boozer added another 23 points for the Jazz, while Andrei Kirilenko dropped in 15 and Kyle Korver chipped in with 12 off the bench. While the series isn’t over, as teams have come back from 3-1 before, but the Jazz will to be nearly perfect to win 3 straight against the Lakers. Here is a look at what I think each team needs to do to win game 5, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.
What the Jazz have to do to win: I don’t think there is much this team can do to win this game, but if they want any chance they are going to not only need big time outings from Williams and Boozer, but a bunch of guys are going to have to step up and play better. Mehmet Okur finally got out on the floor in game 4, but wasn’t of much use failing to score a single point in 13 minutes of play. The Jazz are also going to need some help in this one, as they have no chance in this one if Bryant plays like he did in game 4, but if Bryant struggles the Lakers can be beat, especially with the health of Andrew Bynum unclear. The Jazz have really struggled at the line in the last two games, and they can’t afford to go 22-32 like they did in game 4. The Jazz really needed to win game 4 at home if they want any chance of pulling off the huge upset, as I don’t see anyway the Lakers lose game 5 on their home court. Bet the Jazz +12.5 at Sportsbook.com.
What the Lakers have to do to win: The Lakers showed just how good they can be with their dominating performance in game 4, and Bryant reminded everyone that he is still the best player in this conference, and possibly still the best player in the game today. While I think the Lakers can win it all without Bynum, his addition to the lineup really makes this a special team. Bynum scored just 2 points and had 5 fouls in just 7 minutes of play in game 4, and if he is hurting at all I think the Lakers need to rest him in game 5. With Bynum hurting and in foul trouble, the rest of the Lakers bench really stepped up in game 4, as Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton each added 9 points to go with Browns 10. That bench play needs to continue if the Lakers want to make it back to the NBA finals, and while Odom is very capable of starting in place of Bynum, he really makes this team dangerous when he comes off the bench. Bryant knows how to kill the hopes of opposing teams, and I think Kobe comes out and makes sure the Lakers are heading to the 2nd round, and most importantly get a few days to rest up before the Rockets and Blazers series finishes up. Bet the Lakers -12.5 at Sportsbook.com.
My Prediction: Jazz +12.5. I am convinced the Lakers win this game, but the Jazz are not a team to just give up and let the Lakers run away with it. I think you have to take the 12.5 points, especially if Bynum is still hurting. The Lakers won the first 2 games at home by 13 and 10 points, so I feel like the best bet is to take the points and count on Williams and Boozer to at least keep it close.
For those of you looking to do a little NBA betting this postseason, be sure to check out our expert NBA picks and NBA odds at Betfirms.
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