LAKERS HAVE NO CLOSURE UTAH COMES UP BIG LATE, GETS WIN UTAH 114, LAKERS 108.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

SALT LAKE CITY -- As the streamers fell from the ceiling and the celebration started Friday night, Lakers forward Lamar Odom took off his wristbands and tossed them aside in separate directions as he walked off the court.

Odom was the picture of dejection after the Lakers' 114-108 loss to the Utah Jazz, a game in which coach Phil Jackson told his players afterward they had nothing to be ashamed about, even if one of them didn't agree.

The Lakers played as competitive a game as November has to offer, taking a Jazz team with the NBA's best record into the dying minutes of the fourth quarter before coming up short by a missed shot here and an offensive rebound there.

``It was a helluva game,'' Jackson said. ``We just didn't finish it out.''

With Kobe Bryant missing all three shots he took in the fourthquarter and scoring just twopoints, Odom found himself with the ball in his hands threetimes in the last two minutes. The Lakers' four-game winning streak hung in the balance.

Odom took a 3-pointer with 1:45 left that ``crawled back out'' in Jackson's words after nearly falling in. The Jazz went ahead 107-104 at the other end as second-year guard Deron Williams knocked down a jumper after having his initial attempt blocked.

The Lakers went into a timeout and Odom attacked the basket coming out of it. He scored against Matt Harpring as part of a three-point play to tie the game. But the highs turned into lows in a matter of moments.

After Williams used a screen to bury a 3-pointer, Odom had his 2-footer roll around and out. Carlos Boozer grabbed the rebound for the Jazz, who never looked back. Jackson was left saying afterward of Odom: ``He can't hold himself responsible for that.''

The words rang hollow for Odom, who totaled 26 points and six rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting.

``Basketball's a humbling game, a humbling experience,'' Odom said.

``Those are plays I have to make.''

Boozer led the Jazz with 31points -- 10 in the fourth quarter -- and 16 rebounds.

Williams had 15 points and 10assists. Back from a sprained ankle, Andrei Kirilenko scored only four points but had fiveblocks and guarded Bryant in the fourth quarter.

Williams drilled the night's biggest shot, a 3-pointer with aminute left that put Utah in front for good 110-107. Williams used a Mehmet Okur screen to knock down the 3; Lakers guard Smush Parker went under the screen and paid the price.

The Jazz also came up with two crucial offensive rebounds on a wild possession with threeminutes left, which ended in an Okur jumper.

The Lakers were outrebounded 45-27 Friday, and gave up 15 offensive rebounds, seven to Boozer.

``I told them they had nothing to be ashamed of,'' Jackson said, ``except that rebound total when they look at it.''

The Lakers (8-4) led by as many as seven points early in the fourth quarter but were outscored 32-20 over the last 12minutes. Bryant finished with 27 points but stepped back in the quarter as Jackson thought he became ``leg-weary.''

The proof was in the two free throws Bryant left short in the quarter. He scored 14 points in the first quarter but deferred to Odom and center Kwame Brown late. Bryant once again played in the backcourt and directed the Lakers' offense.

``It's nights like tonight, games like tonight,'' Bryant said, ``where they get that experience learning how to close out games, not having to lean on me for it.''

The Lakers went to Brown four consecutive times in the fourth quarter, and Brown delivered eight points. Okur became so frustrated that he tossed the ball against the basket standard to draw a technical foul.

There has been no greater surprise in the NBA this season than Utah, which improved to a league-best 12-1 and is averaging 108.3 points per game. The Lakers were playing their first road game in more than twoweeks.

``I think that Utah is a legitimate team; I don't think they're going to win the West as far as the best record,'' Jackson said. ``But I do think they're going to be a good team out here. For us, it's the depth of this team and the veteran experience they have.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Lakers forward Luke Walton has his shot rejected by Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko during the first quarter.

(2) Lakers forward Lamar Odom tries to get around Utah forward Carlos Boozer during the second quarter Friday.

Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press