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Hamblen sees things Lakers must rectify

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His team has won the first two games in the NBA Western Conference playoffs, winning both games at Staples Center, yet Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblen said “it’s our turn to change a little.”

Huh?

“Yeah, we’re up 2-0,” Hamblen said. “But still, we’re going into a place that’s hard to win. Their fans really get into the game. It’s loud. It’s fun, though.”

The Jazz is one of the best teams in the NBA at home and its fans are some of the loudest and nastiest in the league.

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With Games 3 and 4 in Salt Lake City tonight and Saturday, the Lakers will face a Jazz team that was 33-8 at EnergySolutions Arena this season.

Hamblen, who is in charge of scouting the Jazz, had a list of things on which the Lakers must improve.

* Defense.

The Lakers have given up an average of 104.5 points in the first two games. The Jazz shot nearly 50% from the field in Game 2, and 42% (eight of 19) from three-point range.

“It was bad, way inconsistent,” Hamblen said of the Lakers’ defensive effort. “We haven’t been able to sustain leads. When we’ve gone to our bench, that’s went it’s happened the most. . . . You can’t have lapses like that, especially on the road. We got off to two great starts here. You can’t expect that on the road. They are expected to get off to a great start. So, we’re going to have to play 48 minutes, whereas we didn’t here.”

* Get the ball down low.

The Lakers should feed Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum more in the post and take advantage of their size over the Jazz.

Gasol and Bynum are 7-footers, while the Jazz counter with 6-9 Carlos Boozer at power forward and 6-11 Jarron Collins at center.

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Bynum made his first five shots, but he missed his last six. Gasol worked the Jazz over for 22 points on nine-for-11 shooting, but Gasol didn’t get a field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter.

“We’ll try and make sure we get it in there,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

* Blowing big leads.

You would have thought the Lakers learned their lesson after blowing much of a 22-point lead in Game 1, but they didn’t.

They blew all but three points of a 22-point lead in Game 2.

The Jazz has to feel comfortable being back at home for the next two games.

The Jazz is 72-12 at home over the last two seasons. Utah limits teams to 95.5 points a game at home, as opposed to giving up 106.3 on the road. The Jazz holds teams to 36% shooting at home.

* Offense efficiency.

The Jazz will stick to its system.

But the Lakers noticed a new wrinkle. The Jazz cleared out one side of the court and went to a pick and roll involving Deron Williams and Boozer.

Expect more of that from the Jazz because it worked.

* Getting behind.

The Jazz got down big in the first two games at Staples Center.

This time, expect the Jazz to be the team that gets off to the good start and builds a lead.

The Jazz doesn’t want the Lakers to run out to a lead, which would take the crowd out of the game.

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broderick.turner@latimes.com

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