体坛英语新闻：Jazz, Spurs pull even with wins

BEIJING, May 13 -- The Utah Jazz held off the Los Angeles Lakers for a 123-115 overtime victory to tie up their best-of-seven National Basketball Association Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2 on Sunday.

    The Jazz, playing at home, gave up a 12-point lead in the final 4:21 of regulation but led throughout overtime to beat the Lakers for a second successive game.

    "We just kept our composure," Deron Williams, who had 29 points and 14 assists, told reporters. "Once we sent it into overtime, we felt like we could still keep going."

    THE Jazz also took advantage of back spasms that slowed Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. He still scored 33 points and had 10 assists but had two shots blocked by Utah's Andrei Kirilenko in overtime.

    THE San Antonio Spurs also rebounded from a 0-2 start, defeating the New Orleans Hornets 100-80 at home to tie their Western semifinal series at 2-2.

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (R) looks to shoot against New Orleans Hornets forward Hilton Armstrong during the second half of Game 4 of their Western Conference semi-final NBA basketball playoff series in San Antonio, Texas, May 11, 2008.

Tim Duncan had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the NBA champions. Tony Parker added 21 points for the Spurs, who led nearly the entire game and are assured of a Game 6 back in San Antonio.

    Chris Paul scored 23 points for New Orleans but received little support from those around him.

    Williams did not have that problem in Salt Lake City as five of his teammates joined him in double figures.

    Mehmet Okur had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Kirilenko blocked five shots and scored 15 points and Carlos Boozer contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds.

    Kyle Korver also had 14 points and Matt Harpring added 12 as Utah opened the overtime session with a 9-2 run to take control.

    Bryant had five of his team's seven points in overtime, but was slowed by the back spasms, which allowed Kirilenko to block a pair of his shots.

    "I was angry at his teammates for dropping the ball in his lap," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

    "I felt guys just bailed out on him."

    Derek Fisher scored 10 consecutive Los Angeles points to spark a fourth-quarter comeback. He finished with 15.

    Lamar Odom, who had 26 points, sent the game into overtime on a tip-in with four seconds remaining in regulation and Pau Gasol added 23 points.

    Lakers' forward-center Ronny Turiaf had two flagrant fouls called on him in the second quarter and was ejected from the game after a hard foul on Utah's Ronnie Price.

    Price needed several stitches to close a cut about his right eye.

    Game 5 is in Los Angeles on Thursday.

    In San Antonio, the Hornets' David West had three blocks but was held to 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting and was visibly frustrated. Reserve Jannero Pargo scored 11 for the visitors.

    The Spurs led by as many as 27 and shot 51 percent (39-of-76), while the Hornets were cold when it counted. They shot 37 percent through three quarters and finished 33-of-82 (40 percent) from the field.