Los Angeles - Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers finished off the Utah Jazz, but wasn't the way they wanted to close them out. Bryant scored 31 points, Lamar Odom had 26 with 15 rebounds and the Lakers held off the feisty Jazz 107-96 on Monday night to wrap up their Western Conference first-round playoff series four-games-to one.

The victory was bittersweet after the Lakers nearly blew 20-point, fourth-quarter lead.

"We played well offensively, we played spotty defence, but we didn't close the door and I told them that," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson.. "We couldn't sustain the effort. We have to improve as we go forward."

The top-seeded Lakers will meet the winner of Houston-Portland in the conference semifinals, with the Rockets holding a commanding 3-1 advantage.

Spaniard Pau Gasol had 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who beat the Jazz for the 12 consecutive time at Staples Centre.

"To be able to beat Utah in five games, I think we'll take that all the way," Gasol said. "We're happy about that. We'll wait for our next opponent, because it'll be extremely tough."

With Bryant and Odom scoring 16 points apiece, the Lakers built a 56-43 margin, that ballooned to 82-63 entering the fourth quarter.

The lead grew to 93-73 with 8:33 remaining, and what looked to be a blowout became a ballgame as reserves Kyle Korver, Ronnie Price and Paul Millshap accounted for 29 of Utah's 33 fourth-quarter points.

Millshap had a team-high 16 points, including 11 in a row and Ronnie Brewer followed with a dunk to cap a 13-0 burst. Bryant's jumper interrupted the run until Korver's three-pointer made it 95-89 with four minutes remaining.

After Trevor Ariza missed a three-pointer, Utah failed to capitalize as Deron Williams missed a fastbreak opportunity.

Ariza split a pair of free throws, and Odom's dunk made it 98-89 with 1:32 remaining. When things began to get chippy, and the Jazz didn't get calls under their own basket, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan protested too vehemently and was ejected with 1:09 left.

The Lakers iced the game at the foul line with Derek Fisher sinking five and Gasol making two.

"It woke us up because we thought with a 20-point lead going into the fourth quarter the game was pretty much resolved, but they continued to fight," Gasol said. "They made their run, but we were able to finish up pretty well."

Bryant voiced concern over the late collapse.

"We have to give a better effort, running back on defence, not giving up easy baskets, we have to continue to hustle," he said. "As long as we ended the series, now we have a week off to have a spirited conversation with the group."

Elsewhere:

Denver Nuggets 121, New Orleans Hornets 63 The Nuggets made it look too easy in the "Big Easy."

Carmelo Anthony scored 26, Chauncey Billups had 17 before both sat out the final quarter, and the Nuggets humiliated the host Hornets to grab a commanding 3-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

"I wouldn't have thought that we would win by 58 points," Anthony said. "I never thought anyone could win by 58 points in the playoffs."

The Nuggets' margin of victory matched the NBA playoff record previously set by the Minneapolis Lakers, who walloped the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 in 1956.

Denver can wrap up the best-of-seven series at home in Game Five on Wednesday night.

David West scored 14, but Chris Paul just four and six assists for New Orleans, which shot an icy 31.5 per cent and committed 27 turnovers, resulting in 41 points.

"That's the worst basketball game I've ever seen us play and it just came at the wrong time," Hornets coach Byron Scott said."

Atlanta Hawks 81, Miami Heat 71 The Hawks picked a perfect time to snap a 12-year playoff road slide.

Zaza Pachulia had 12 points with 18 rebounds, and the Hawks took advantage of ailing Dwyane Wade to beat the Heat and square their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at two-games apiece.

"They are not ready to go home," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said.

"The fight is still there. This was huge because it's our first road playoff win. We did everything we were supposed to do to secure this win. And now we have to go home and handle our business.

The Hawks host pivotal Game Five on Wednesday night, after regaining the home-court advantage with their first playoff road victory in 13 games since 1997.

Mike Bibby led Atlanta with 15 points. Joe Johnson added 14, and Josh Smith 13 for the Hawks, who built a 21-point second-quarter cushion and stayed in front despite repeated comeback attempts by the Heat.

Wade, slowed by painful back spasms, topped the Heat with 22 points on nine-of-26 shooting. Jermaine O'Neal added 20 and James Jones finished with a playoff career-high 19, including a pair of rare four-point plays 11 seconds apart in the second quarter.

"It spazed up (worsened), and I tried to fight it out," Wade said. "Hopefully with therapy tomorrow and medicine, I'll be alright for the next game."