Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant quickly put one of his worst playoff performances in the rearview mirror, hitting 16-of-24 from the field for 38 points to lead a balanced Lakers club to a 108-94 drubbing of the Utah Jazz in Game 4 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series.
In Game 3's 88-86 setback, Bryant sank a woeful 5-of-24 for 18 points, but the former MVP showed his full arsenal on Saturday to pace Los Angeles to a 3-1 lead in the series, which the reigning West champs can close on Monday at home.
Six other Lakers had at least nine points in the lopsided affair, with Lamar Odom logging 10 points and 15 rebounds and Pau Gasol adding 13 and 10 for the victors, who shot 51.9 percent from the field.
Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer carried Utah. Williams played nearly 46 minutes, depositing 23 points and 13 assists, and Boozer scored 23 points to go with a game-high 16 rebounds.
The Jazz welcomed back Mehmet Okur, but their second leading scorer logged just 13 minutes and went 0-for-3 from the floor. The center missed the first three games of the series with a strained right hamstring.
