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Lakers Nation > Blog > Lakers History > This Day In Lakers History: Kobe Bryant Scores 38 Points To Push Jazz To Brink Of Elimination In 2009 NBA Playoffs
Lakers History

This Day In Lakers History: Kobe Bryant Scores 38 Points To Push Jazz To Brink Of Elimination In 2009 NBA Playoffs

Trevor Lane
Published: 04/25/2025
3 Min Read
Kobe Bryant, Lakers, Jazz
Rick Egan-The Salt Lake Tribune
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Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has had a countless number of spotlight-stealing moments but they always seemed to matter a bit more when they happened in the playoffs. On April 25, 2009, Bryant had such a moment in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Utah Jazz.

It was Game 4 of their best-of-seven series, and while the Lakers had won the first two games of the series at home, Game 3 was a very different story. They came up short thanks in part to a terrible shooting night from Bryant that saw him hit just 5-of-24 from the field.

As one could have expected, Bryant came out aggressive in the next contest, knowing that allowing the Jazz to tie the series at two games each would be a dangerous development. While the Lakers were the better team, the Jazz had enough talent to make life difficult on them.

Carlos Boozer had a strength advantage over Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in the paint, a prime Deron Williams was one of the best point guards in the league, and Andrei Kirilenko was doing his best Swiss Army Knife impression by contributing just about everywhere.

However, Bryant was determined to not give Utah’s big three an opportunity to pull off an upset. In a classic performance, Bryant bounced back from the previous game by scoring 38 points on 16-for-24 shooting and hit all five of his free throws.

As a team, the Lakers put the Jazz on their heels when they exploded for 40 points in the second quarter, then secured the win by locking in defensively in the third, where they allowed just 16 Jazz points. The win put the Lakers up 3-1 in the series and pushed the Jazz to the brink of elimination.

Kobe Bryant & Lakers won championship

Ultimately, the Lakers would surge in the playoffs and bring home their 15th NBA championship by defeating the Orlando Magic with Kobe Bryant taking home MVP honors. It was nights like this one against the Jazz that helped them get there.

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TAGGED:Kobe BryantLos Angeles LakersUtah Jazz
ByTrevor Lane
Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
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