by Missy Thompson
STAFF WRITER
Four. That's how many points Utah Jazz back-up point guard Ronnie Price scored and how many stitches it took to stop a bleeding cut over his right eye caused by a flagrant foul from Los Angeles Laker Ronny Turiaf.
And in the fourth game of the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday at EnergySolutions Arena, the Jazz battled it out taking a 123-115 overtime win over the Lakers and tying the series at two games a piece.
Deron Williams (29 points, 14 assists), Carlos Boozer (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Mehmet Okur (18 points, 11 rebounds) recorded three double-doubles for the Jazz and helped get their team back in series.
The Jazz seemed to have locked in a win during different parts of the game. They led 31-21 at the end of the first quarter only to have Kobe Bryant score 10 of his 33 points in the second quarter, despite back pains, and tie the game at 55-55 at halftime.
Utah used Derek Fisher's foul trouble to their advantage in the second quarter since he spent most of it on the bench. The Jazz pulled away again early in the fourth quarter when Kyle Korver made a 19-foot jump shot. He stole the ball away from DJ Mbenga and fed the ball to Millsap who connected on another jump shot giving the Jazz an 83-75 lead.
After two sets of made free throws from Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, the Jazz had a 100-88 lead. Then a ghost from the past came back to rear his ugly head. Fisher, always a good clutch player, scored three 3-point shots in a row and connected on a free throw after Okur was called for a technical foul. Suddenly the Lakers were back in the game, 102-98, with 2:42 left in the fourth.
"You gotta give it up to D-Fish," said Jazz guard Ronnie Brewer. "He kept his team going."
But it was Lamar Odom, not Fisher, who tied the game at 108-108 at the end of regulation. Odom finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers.
In overtime, however, it was all Andrei Kirilenko and the Jazz. Kirilenko, who finished with 15 points, came up with a huge block against Bryant. On the offensive end Okur grabbed a rebound off a missed three-point attempt from Korver and passed to Kirilenko who dunked the ball home and got fouled by Odom.
"A win's a win we just have to find a way to get it," Brewer said on going into overtime against the Lakers. "It's a lot different being down 3-1 than [tied at] 2-2. Now we're going back to L.A."
The Jazz and Lakers will face off again on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. in L.A. for game 5 of the best of seven series. Now, it's the best two out of three for either team to make in to the Western Conference Finals.
"We were out of rhythm the first couple of games," Korver said. "The biggest thing was our transition defense was so much better, we've got to keep that up."
Although the Jazz were outscored 34-24 in the second quarter, it was a turning point in the game, especially for Price. With 10:07 left in the second period, Price drove into the lane, a whistle blew and the 6-foot-10 Turiaf came down hard on Price who happens to be 6-foot-2. Turiaf was called for a flagrant type-two foul which caused him to be ejected from the game.
Price would get his revenge in the fourth quarter when he made the play of the game by chasing Luke Walton and timing his breakaway lay-up just in time to swat it away.
Korver, who had 14 points, commented on Price's hard foul and the huge blocked shot.
"That got us really fired up," Korver said.
The crowd at ESA was also easily excited during the game. Now dubbed the loudest arena to play basketball in, the sold out crowd did what they could to help their team.
"We knew our intensity had to match the crowd's," Brewer said.
Game 4 was the first Sunday game played in Salt Lake City in more than seven years, and it happened to be Mother's Day. But that didn't stop hordes of fans from showing up to support their team.
"It was a great game and a lot of fun," Korver said. "That's what the playoffs are all about, but we were able to pull through with a win."
missy@tooeletranscript.com