Utah's poor luck continues in Los Angeles

Utah's poor luck continues in Los Angeles:By halftime, there was an air of inevitability. It wasn’t just the game, the first of the Western Conference semifinals, but the series itself already seemed like a fait accompli. For those of you requiring a translator, that’s French for “waste of time.”

Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley held more suspense than this ABC rerun. Not that Sunday’s episode began as a blowout. Hell, it wasn’t even a bad first half, not with Deron Williams – probably the best point guard in basketball now – picking himself off the floor after an early collision and going off for 17. Indeed, after two quarters, the differential between Utah and Los Angeles was a mere eight points and five rebounds.

But it sure didn’t feel like a playoff game. So you wonder: when does May feel like February? When the Lakers are hosting the Jazz.

The last time Utah got a game here was Jan. 1, 2006. Williams was a rookie thrown in against the inestimable Smush Parker, who started along with Luke Walton, Brian Cook, Chris Mihm and Lamar Odom. That’s right, no Kobe Bryant.