Jazz win, stay perfect in NBA preseason
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Al Jefferson scored 13 points in three quarters before leaving with an injured right hand, C.J. Miles added 14 points and the Utah Jazz stayed unbeaten in the preseason with an 82-74 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Kobe Bryant scored seven points on 2-for-13 shooting while Shannon Brown and Matt Barnes scored 13 apiece for the Lakers, who finish the preseason with back-to-back games against Golden State before beginning their defense of their two NBA titles. Pau Gasol had 11 points while playing 31 minutes.
Utah is off to its best preseason start in franchise history at 7-0, but Jefferson winced in agony during the final seconds of the third quarter after apparently injuring his hand while driving to the hoop. The Jazz said he has a bruised knuckle, and Jefferson stayed on the Utah bench for the fourth quarter
The Jazz also beat the Lakers 99-94 at Staples Center on Sunday night. Bryant scored 19 points in the third quarter of that game but went an unsightly 1 for 9 in the third quarter in Anaheim.
Deron Williams had 10 points for the Jazz after sitting out their back-to-back games at Staples Center last weekend with a strained right calf. The star point guard also is expected to skip Utah's preseason finale against Sacramento on Friday.
Andrei Kirilenko scored 11 points for the Jazz.
The clubs played before a healthy crowd of Orange County fans in the Anaheim Ducks' home arena, which still aspires to have an NBA team as a full-time tenant in the future. Bryant also lives in Orange County, making a daily commute to Staples Center or the Lakers' training complex in El Segundo.
The Lakers' starting five went just 5 for 18 while playing most of the first quarter, including a 1-for-5 effort by Gasol and four misses by Derek Fisher. Los Angeles made just 12 of 40 shots in the first half but trailed only 38-32 after Utah made 10 turnovers in the half.
Jefferson and Kirilenko scored seven points apiece in the third quarter for Utah. Bryant missed eight shots from every area of the court, also drawing a technical foul.
Los Angeles pulled within 73-69 using a lineup led by Gasol and four reserves with 3 1/2 minutes to play, but Kyrylo Fesenko and Earl Watson came up with key baskets to maintain Utah's lead.
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