"What the makes the Laker team in particular good (is) in a tight game like (Monday's) you have a guy like Kobe Bryant, who's capable of making plays for himself and making plays for other people," Fisher said. "When you put the ball in his hands, most times he's gonna find a way to either score or hit somebody else for an open shot.

"Deron (Williams), a lot of times, is that guy for us, and we didn't have him tonight. Memo (Okur), it was his first game back after missing a couple — he didn't have his legs under him," Fisher added. "Those are our two guys, a lot of times, that we depend on in the fourth quarter to make plays."

But with one out and the other all but, there would be no final-quarter heroics for the Jazz on this occasion.

Instead, it was Parker who would hit a 3-pointer to break an 82-82 tie and give the Lakers the lead for good with four minutes and 23 seconds remaining.

Even after L.A. went up by as many as 10 after that, the Jazz still had a chance.

Seven points in a span of 26 final-minute seconds from Fisher — four on a trey and the free throw that followed, and three more on another long-distance jumper — helped pulled the Jazz back to within two at 96-94.

But Bryant hit his final two freebies to extend the Lakers' advantage, and all the Jazz's late-game prayers — including one 3-point attempt by Okur, who has hit more than his fair share of game-winners this season, and two from Fisher — went unanswered.

"Memo just didn't have it for us tonight," Fisher said. "But we're not disappointed in him at all. He's done it too many times. We'll call this a mulligan, because the next time he's out there he's gonna knock them down for us."

Bryant, though, was the one with the knockout punch on this night.

"He's a great player," Giricek said. "He has all the moves. He can go pump-fake, head-fake. It's very hard to guard him."

Especially when so many calls are going his way.

---

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com