updated 10:54 a.m. ET May 15, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Just when it appeared the Los Angeles Lakers needed Kobe Bryant the most, he provided the least.

The strategy, planned or otherwise, worked to perfection.

Bryant scored 26 points despite not attempting a field goal in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers extended the stunning home success by NBA teams in the second round of the playoffs by beating the Utah Jazz 111-104 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Lakers, who never trailed, can advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2004 with a victory Friday night in Utah. But if form prevails, the teams will be playing a seventh and deciding game Monday night at Staples Center, where Los Angeles has a 17-3 record against the Jazz since the arena opened before the 1999-2000 season.

Home teams have won 19 of the 20 games played in the second round. The Lakers are the top-seeded team in the Western Conference, meaning they have home-court advantage through the first three rounds of the postseason.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson fell short of calling Game 5 a must-win for his team beforehand, but added: “We held serve (in the first two games), they held serve (in the second two), now it’s time for us to hold serve. That’s what this is all about.”

The Lakers held serve by outscoring the Jazz 8-2 in the final minute.

Bryant tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sunday’s 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the series. Sore back and all, he had 33 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists while playing 46 minutes.

The MVP didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday, resting and receiving treatment. Clearly, it never occurred to him that he might be seriously hindered in Game 5, much less not play.

Bryant, who also had six rebounds and seven assists, scored only three points in the final period, all from the foul line after the outcome had been decided. He shot 6-for-10 from the floor and 13-of-17 from the foul line.

“I just had to pick my spots,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t 100 percent healthy, so I wanted to get us off to a good start, give us an emotional boost. Then in the third quarter, there were moments where I had to pick it up, and I was able to do that. And in the fourth quarter, Lamar (Odom) and Pau (Gasol) took it from there.”

Said Jackson: “It was just read how you feel, play the game the way it has to be played. He really saw the game from a perspective of how we could win the game and how he could do his best through the team.”

Special feature Main attraction The highs and lows of Kobe Bryant's career NBCSports.com

Odom had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Gasol added 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Vladimir Radmanovic scored 15 points and Derek Fisher added 14 for the Lakers, who were 17-1 during the regular season when all five starters scored in double figures.

“Kobe is so good offensively that you have to expect to catch the ball in places where you can really be aggressive,” said Odom, who had seven points in the final period, when the Lakers outscored the Jazz 30-23. “The whole team leans toward him. When he’s passing and looking for all of us, he makes us really hard to guard.”

Playing Through Pain Suck it up Looking at athletes who have persevered through pain.

All five Utah starters also scored in double figures led by Deron Williams, who had 27 points and 10 assists. Carlos Boozer added 18 points and 12 rebounds, Ronnie Brewer scored a career playoff-high 16 points, Mehmet Okur had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko scored 12 for the Jazz.

A three-point play by Odom with 6:19 remaining gave the Lakers a 97-91 lead. But the Jazz battled back, and a 3-pointer by Williams as the shot clock wound down moved the Jazz within one point with 2:18 left.

That would be as close as the Jazz would get.

MORE FROM NBA

NBA Section Front

Ewing, Olajuwon linked again, this time in Hall Now, it's official: Riley a Hall of Famer Chalmers apologizes, denies reports of drug use Lakers' Bynum says he's ready to play Cavaliers sign big man Wright Ginobili has ankle surgery after Olympics injury NBA rumors: Gordon's agent made up Russia rumor LeBron enjoys Olympic gold while losing H-O-R-S-E Latest NBA videos 2008-09 regular-season schedule NBA Section Front   Add NBA headlines to your news reader: