On Tuesday night, Game 2 of the Lakers-Jazz series played out with a palpable level of familiarity. While the finer details of the proceedings may have been different, it still had the feeling of so many others we have seen in the past between these rivals.

In brief: the Lakers did their work early by dominating inside to build up a seemingly insurmountable lead; Utah began making shots and increasing their aggressiveness as they tried to storm back; Los Angeles awoke after seeming complacent; the Jazz ultimately ran out of time and the Lakers secured an important home victory.

No, you are not imagining it: we have seen this movie before.

Tuesday’s showdown seemed over almost as soon it began: Los Angeles hit 11 straight shots at one point during a stretch that saw the defending Western Conference champs score on 18-of-21 shooting to lead by as many as 20 in the first half.

Given this dominance, one might have expected that it was an All-Universe scoring spree from Kobe Bryant that spurred such a run. Instead though, it was the Lakers’ frontline that did the damage: Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combined for 19 in the first quarter as they outscored the Jazz 14-0 points in the paint after six minutes and collected 12 of their first 15 points down low. At 6’8″, Paul Millsap is too undersized to contend with Gasol, who scored whenever he wanted to early on en route to 22 points.

By half the Lakers had four players in double figures. Bryant was not one of them.

The Jazz saw the same scenario is Game 1 and just as they had Sunday, refused to quit. Utah picked up their defense and showed signs of life on the other end. Their improved fire and shooting touch were aided by careless passing from the Lakers (who showcased their infinitely frustrating inability to metaphorically keep their foot on their opponent’s throat).

Still though, every opportunity the Jazz had to get the game within two possessions was cut short. Whenever the Lakers needed a big shot, they found it. The Jazz saw a number of five point swings go against them, where an unnecessary turnover on a potential layup turned around into a made three for the home team.

While Deron Williams is scorching any defender foolish enough to get in his way, it should be mentioned that Shannon Brown was again a pleasant surprise for the Lakers and their fans, kicking in 12 points in 16 minutes. Just as important as his 4-6 shooting was that those baskets often came against the clock and in important situations.

While Los Angeles should be displeased with their inability so far to close games out early on, they can take heart in the self-control Bryant has shown in allocating his energy. Simply put, Bryant no longer needs to carry his team for an entire game, or an entire half, and it will mean he will have fresher legs than last year should the team’s return to the Finals.

As Phil Jackson summarized before the start of the fourth, he is now using the first three quarters merely as preparation for his role as closer, picking his spots to make his presence felt. His ability to attack at a moments notice allows his force to hang over the game as if it were a bird of prey, ready to descend and finish the Jazz off when the time calls for it.

As for Deron Williams, it is getting sort of repetitive to point out, but it probably still needs to be said: this is the best point guard not named Chris Paul in the world. 35 points, including six threes, nine assists (that easily could have been 14 if his teammates finished layups) and four steals. Just a special, special player.

The series will now shifts to Salt Lake City. The Jazz can channel their inner-Bond and take a quantum of solace in the fact that the Lakers of lost seven of their last ten games there, but every indication from Game 2 suggests that we may be in for just more of the same.