In what has become a common event in Los Angeles Lakers games, Kobe Bryant received "MVP! MVP!" chants more and more. Game 1 against the Utah Jazz continued the trend.Good thing Kobe did not did not disappoint, he led the Lakers to a 109-98 win over the Jazz for a 1-0 lead in their best of seven series. Look at this MVP-calible line: 38 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 21 free throws made and 50% shooting from the field. Looks like crowd knew what they were chanting for.
Did Kobe make his team mates better in the game? Absolutely. Pau Gasol was superb (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Lamar Odom was clutch by making a late layup and one.Even Sasha Vujacic played a very solid game off the bench with 15 points and a perfect 2 of 2 from beyond the 3-point line.
The series is the first time the two teams meet in the playoffs since the Jazz swept the Lakers in the 1998 Western Conference Finals. The year before that in 1997, Kobe had his infamous "airball" series against the Jazz.
Tags: Lakers
