Lakers sink Jazz in OT

Bryant made two controversial free throws in the last second of regulation and finished with 30 points on 11-of-31 shooting for Los Angeles. He also had seven rebounds before fouling out with 2:07 left in overtime.

Smush Parker added 21 points and Lamar Odom had a solid night with 12 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, as the Lakers snapped a two-game skid.

Deron Williams had 20 points and Matt Harpring added 16 before fouling out for the Jazz, losers of three in a row and eight of 10.

The Lakers were ahead by as many as 14 points before the Jazz rallied in the fourth quarter. Harpring canned two foul shots with 23.8 seconds left to boost Utah to a 91-90 edge. Bryant then missed a jumper and Harpring came up with a loose ball after a scramble, and made one more foul shot with 4.3 seconds remaining in the fourth.

Bryant then missed a jumper from near the three-point line with the ball caroming off the rim, seemingly at the buzzer. However, Devin Brown was whistled for a foul, even though he barely made contact with 0.4 seconds left. Bryant hit both foul shots to force overtime with the game tied at 92.

"As soon as he went up, I just put my hands straight up and he kind of gave a ’oh’ and I couldn’t believe the ref made that call," Brown said. "It’s tough to play the whole game and come back and fight back like we did and then it comes down to one call."

Williams missed a potential winning shot at the regulation buzzer.

"He fouled me," Bryant said. "He kicked my legs out from under me. When it’s a questionable call the refs usually won’t make the call when the game’s on the line, but that was an easy call."

A Williams jumper gave the Jazz the lead at 101-100 with 1:11 left in overtime. However, Vujacic, a second-year player from Slovenia canned a shot from the left side to give the Lakers the edge.

Gordan Giricek missed a shot on Utah’s ensuing possession and Laron Profit made both free throws for his only two points of the night with 6.3 seconds left to seal LA’s victory.

Los Angeles was on top 51-43 at the half and stretched that advantage to 66-52 on an Odom jumper with 7:03 left in the third. The Lakers were ahead 75-68 going into the fourth.

"We got some calls late that could have gone either way, but luckily we stayed tough," Odom said.

Game Notes

Lakers guard Aaron McKie suffered a sprained left knee...This was the first of four meetings this season. The Jazz won three of four from the Lakers last season, their first series win over LA since the 1998-99 campaign...Bryant is 20-of-64 shooting in the last two games...Dee Brown had 13 points and Andre Owens scored 11 for Utah...Luke Walker had 12 points, Vujacic added 11 and Chris Mihm scored 10 for the Lakers...The Jazz shot 36 percent from the field, but made 42-of-53 foul shots.