Familiar story to Jazz

First-game blues, first-game jitters.

Or just call the title of recent Lakers-Jazz opening playoff encounters, same result, next year.

Game 1, 2008 conference semifinals: Lakers 109, Jazz 98.

Game 1, 2009 first round: Lakers 113, Jazz 100, on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center.

What’s the difference between an 11-point loss and getting hit by a 13-point defeat?

Not much.

“It is kind of getting repetitive,” said Jazz guard Deron Williams, who made four for 14 shots and scored 16 points. “It’s something we can’t have happen against a team like this. You’re not going to be able to come back from 20 down. They’re not going to let you get back in the game.”

The Lakers didn’t slam the door shut as emphatically as they would have liked, letting the Jazz get within nine points in the second half.

That’s their version of offering hope in this series.

“In the playoffs you have to execute,” Utah’s Matt Harpring said. “We found ourselves in the first half sometimes out of place and not in the right position on offense and on defense. And that’s just unacceptable in the playoffs.

“We feel we have a shot. We felt that way coming into the game. A lot of people are writing us off right now, but we definitely feel we can beat this team.”

Paul Millsap, who had 15 points, described the showing as “first-game jitters.”

“We know we’re a lot smarter than that,” he said. “We made a lot of turnovers we normally don’t make and it cost us.”

And the collective mind-set, heading into Game 2 on Tuesday?

“We know we can win,” Millsap said.

“We’re real confident we can win if we played like we played in the second half.”

There’s no indication whether the Jazz will get a boost in Game 2 by the presence of 6-foot-11 center Mehmet Okur, who is out with a mild right hamstring strain, having suffered the injury against the Clippers in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

While there was much talk about the Utah players’ lack of nastiness -- apparently believing they weren’t as nasty as they wanna be, needing to channel a little 2 Live Crew -- there is, oh, the other matter of shooting. The Jazz shot 39%, made just one three-pointer in the first half, and three overall. And Williams wasn’t pleased with his overall touch.

“I didn’t shoot the ball too well,” said Williams, who had 17 assists. “I thought I did a good job of getting in the lane and distributing the basketball, just couldn’t finish around the basket. I’ve got to do a better job of that. As a team, we didn’t shoot well either. Just gotta make shots. Get some more stops and make shots.”

There was one encouraging bit of information for the Jazz. Carlos Boozer had 27 points, shooting 11 for 16 from the field.

“I felt great,” he said. “It’s the best I’ve felt since knee surgery. I feel like my lift is coming back a lot, my conditioning is there, and just playing ball.”

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