INQUIRER Sports

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers held off the Utah Jazz 111-104 on Wednesday to move within one game of advancing in the National Basketball Association playoffs.

Pau Gasol made two key baskets down the stretch for the Lakers, who took a three-games-to-two lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series.

Spain's Gasol finished with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant scored 26 points for the Lakers, who can wrap up the series with a victory in game six on Friday at Salt Lake City.

Mehmet Okur's putback pulled the Jazz within one, but Gasol answered with a basket then added another off Sasha Vujacic's missed 3-pointer to make it 107-102 with 20 seconds to play.

Utah's Deron Williams scored 27 points with 10 assists for the Jazz, who pulled within a point several times but could never take the lead.