With Kobe’s back acting up, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom took the team on their shoulders and led Los Angeles to a 111-104 victory over Utah.

When the score is tight late in the game, it usually means Kobe is getting the ball. But with Kobe’s back locked up, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom grabbed the reins and led Los Angeles to thrilling 111-104 win to move within one game of the Western Conference finals.

Kobe still had an outstanding game with 26 points and 7 assists, but in the fourth quarter Los Angeles relied on a combined 13 points from Gasol and Odom. Pau finished the game with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds and Lamar put up 22 points and 11 rebounds.

“It’s about making the right plays for us to score and get stops when it comes down to the last two minutes. You want to score no matter how or no matter what,” said Pau.

Deron Williams what on fire all night, leading Utah with 27 points and 10 assists in the loss.

In the Eastern Conference semis, Paul Pierce had a team-high 29 points and worked both ends of the floor, only allowing LeBron to make four of his last 14 shots. The end-to-end effort by Pierce propelled Boston to a 96-89 win and a 3-2 lead in the series.

LeBron finished the game with 35 points, after a huge 23 point first half.