It's closing time

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Lakers have had good success in close-out games recently. They are 1-0 so far during the 2010 playoffs, having eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder on their first try in Game 6 of their opening-round series last month. They were 3-1 last season en route to the NBA championship. They were 3-0 during their run to the Finals in 2008. The also were 1-1 when facing elimination, forcing the eventual champion Boston Celtics to a Game 6 with a victory in Game 5 at Staples Center. Their last blown chances were in 2006, when they squandered a 3-1 series lead and lost to the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers can eliminate the Utah Jazz with a victory Monday in Game 4.

UPDATE: After further research by the team's crack media relations dept., the fact is the Lakers squandered a chance to eliminate the Houston Rockets in the second round last spring. They lost Game 6 before taking the decisive Game 7. I messed that up in the original post by writing that the Lakers were 4-0 in close-out games last spring.