Williams (game-high 27 points, game-high 10 assists), Boozer (18 points, 12 boards) and Okur (13 points, game-high rebounds) all posted double-doubles for the No. 4 seed Jazz, who never did lead Wednesday.

Down by seven points at the break, the Jazz did tie the game three times in the third quarter — at 69 with a Williams 3-pointer, at 73 with a Ronnie Brewer-fed layup by Boozer, and at 81 heading into the fourth after backup point guard Ronnie Price drove for a layup with 8.4 seconds remaining in the period.

But they played from behind for much of the second half, thanks in large part to a rough opening half in which Utah never led.

Blame — or credit, depending on one's perspective — a certain MVP for that.

Though he wasn't exactly driving aggressively to the basket, Bryant did come out firing.

He hit both a 3-pointer and a short jumper in the game's first minute, and had seven of the Lakers' first 13 points.

Bryant didn't really overexert himself on the defensive end, and his match, Brewer, scored Utah's first eight points.

By the time the opening half was done, though, Bryant had 13 with 4-for-7 field shooting — and the Lakers had a 61-54 lead, boosted as well by 15 points from Gasol.

"We couldn't get over the hump," Sloan said. "We were right there, but never did get there."

MISC.: After getting into early foul trouble in Games 3 and 4, ex-Jazz guard Derek Fisher of the Lakers made it through Wednesday's first half without any fouls. ... Third-year Jazz reserve swingman C.J. Miles saw the most-extensive active of his personal postseason career, logging seven minutes and scoring four points. ... The Jazz committed 19 turnovers — including 15 in the first half alone.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com