LOS ANGELES (AP) -- So much for Kobe Bryant's sore lower back.

Bryant scored 26 points, his teammates kept Utah at bay down the stretch, and Los Angeles Lakers extended the stunning home success by NBA teams in the second round of the playoffs, beating the 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.

"That's what you play for," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said before the game. "When you start off the season, you want to try and get the home-court advantage because I think it's been pretty big in this league."

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."

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 fourth quarter, all from the foul line after the outcome had been decided. He didn't attempt a field goal in the final period.

Lamar Odom had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Pau 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.

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.

Okur's basket with 59 seconds to play made it 103-102, but two baskets by Gasol extended the Lakers' lead to 107-102 with 20 seconds remaining. Williams then missed a 3-pointer, and the Jazz were done.

The Jazz, who trailed by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, outscored the Lakers 15-8 to start the second half, tying the game at 69. Bryant scored 10 points in the quarter, including his team's final six, but the game was tied 81-all entering the final period.

The game was tied for a fourth and final time early in the fourth quarter before the Lakers went ahead for good on a foul shot by Luke Walton -- his only point of the game -- with 9:54 to play.

After a scoreless first quarter, Gasol shot 6-for-9 and scored 15 points in the second period, helping the Lakers outscore the Jazz 32-28 for a 61-54 halftime lead. Utah trailed by only seven points despite committing 15 turnovers in the opening 24 minutes.

Bryant showed right away his back wasn't going to be a major problem, firing in a 3-pointer and another jumper in the opening 50 seconds to give the Lakers a quick 5-0 lead. The Jazz made their first four shots -- all by Brewer -- but trailed 15-8 thanks to five turnovers.

Radmanovic, who averaged 5.5 points in the first four games of the series, made consecutive 3-pointers to give him 10 points and the Lakers a 25-16 lead before the Jazz trimmed the deficit to 29-26 entering the second quarter.

Game notes
The Lakers have won seven straight home games over Utah. ... The Lakers have won 18 of their last 21 home games in the postseason, while the Jazz have lost seven of their last nine road playoff games, including four in a row. ... The Lakers are 36-6 when winning Game 5 of a best-of-seven series and 13-17 when losing Game 5. ... Lakers G Jordan Farmar shot 2-for-5 and scored six points, including a three-point play with 8:38 remaining that gave the Lakers a 90-86 lead. The 21-year-old former UCLA star shot 1-for-16 and scored four points in the previous four games of this series. ... Utah and Boston were the only NBA teams to beat every other team at least once during the regular season.

Kobe Bryant walked a bit gingerly as he emerged from the training area at Lakers headquarters to speak with reporters Tuesday, remaining on his feet since sitting is not a preferred option because of his sore lower back.

"Quite a bit (of pain), but it's a lot better than it was yesterday," Bryant said with a smile -- his mood clearly positive. "It'll be fine."

Bryant tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sunday's 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the Western Conference semifinals 2-2. Sore back and all, he had 33 points eight rebounds and 10 assists while playing 46 minutes.

Bryant said he'll definitely play Wednesday night in Game 5 at Staples Center, adding he would have given it a go had there been a game Tuesday night.

"I think the key is to know what you can and can't do," he said. "I kind of know what I can and can't do. I hope I can do what's necessary to help us win."

Bryant didn't practice Tuesday, spending his time in suburban El Segundo getting treatment and watching film. He said he hoped to participate in the shootaround Wednesday morning.

And he outlined a couple areas of inconvenience because of his back.

"Sleeping's tough," Bryant said. "This car ride home is going to be a beast, sitting in traffic. I'll stretch out when I get home."

Bryant made it clear he wouldn't be the one doing the driving.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he believes there's a possibility Bryant might not shoot that well, but added: "As long as he can play, we're satisfied. He'll do OK."

Jackson also said he wasn't feeling the pressure a deadlocked series might bring. Having coached nine NBA championship teams, he's been in this kind of situation many times before.

"We know we have homecourt advantage. We earned it," Jackson said. "We feel very confident in our building."

The Lakers have won the last six games between the teams in Los Angeles and have a 16-3 record against the Jazz at Staples Center since the arena opened before the 1999-2000 season.

"To win the series, we have to win on the road," Utah's Matt Harpring said before the Jazz flew to Los Angeles. "So we haven't gotten anywhere yet. The series is basically 0-0 and now it's the best two-out-of-three.

"They're capable of beating us at home," Harpring added. "We're not invincible. We know that."

Road victories have been extremely tough to come by for anyone in the second round of the playoffs. Home teams were 15-1 entering Tuesday night's action, with the one road win a 90-89 triumph by Detroit at Orlando last Saturday.

"That's incredible," Bryant said. "That's why homecourt advantage is so important, I guess."

Jackson said he believes the Lakers need to play a more physical game to be successful in this series.

"I personally am for the cut-slash game. I like speed," he said. "Our team is long, lanky, lean. You've got to beat the opponent to the punch. You've got to deliver the first blow. That's what I'm telling the guys."

Utah's Deron Williams, who had 29 points and 14 assists in Game 4, pointed to slow starts and bad first halves as the key to his team's 109-98 and 120-110 losses to the Lakers in the first two games of this series.

"This is a big game. It's a momentum game and it puts a lot of pressure on whoever doesn't win," Williams said. "You can always expect a couple guys to be the same at home and away. I think I have to be one of those guys. You've got to be maybe even more aggressive on the road and try to pick up some of the slack. That's what I'm trying to do."

While the Jazz were nearly unbeatable at home, going an NBA-best 37-4 during the regular season, they were just 17-24 on the road.

But Utah coach Jerry Sloan expressed confidence in his players, saying: "I think they can play against anybody. I told them that at the beginning of the season."

Williams, in his third NBA season, has made quite an impression on Bryant.

"I love him. He's one of my favorite players in the league," Bryant said, adding he's not one to throw praise around lightly. "I love his toughness, I love his skill."

Lakers reserve Ronny Turiaf, ejected early in the second quarter of Game 4 after committing a flagrant foul on Ronnie Price, looks forward to returning to the court.

"Just because I got ejected doesn't mean I'm going to do anything different," Turiaf said. "I went for the ball like I always do. It's unfortunate what happened. I apologized to Ronnie, he's one of my best friends in the league."

Game 6 will be played Friday night in Utah. A seventh game, if necessary, scheduled Monday night at Staples Center.

Game notes
Lakers F Trevor Ariza, who hasn't played since breaking his right foot in practice Jan. 20, was cleared Tuesday to practice with no restrictions. "The bone is not completely healed, but it's healed as much as it's going to heal," team spokesman John Black said, adding the chances of Ariza breaking the same bone again are remote. Jackson said no timetable has been set on when Ariza might play in a game. "We'll just see what he can do. Vlade's not played well in the last two games," Jackson said, referring to Vladimir Radmanovic, the Lakers' starting small forward. "(Ariza) plays that position. We'll see if Vlade can't right his game here."