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Sizzlin' and Fizzlin'
May 28, 2000
Shaq was back to being a horror show at the free-throw line, Kobe was nearly invisible and the role players were playing itsy-bitsy parts. All the zen in the world couldn't save the Lakers against the high-energy Blazers.
At least that's the way it appeared after Portland's 29-point humiliation of the Lakers on their home floor in Game 2 that knotted the Western Conference finals, 1-1, and left plenty of doubts about Phil Jackson's team.
 | | | Ron Harper was key in the Lakers' weekend sweep of the Blazers at Portland, averaging 15 points in the victories.(AP) | |
But a funny thing happened in the Rose City.
Kobe Bryant burst onto the scene in Game 3, scoring 25 points to equal his output of the first two games and knocked away Arvydas Sabonis' potential tying shot in the waning seconds as the Lakers took a 2-1 series advantage with a 93-91 victory on Friday.
It was a stark contrast to Bryant's panicky play in the first two games in L.A., when he looked a lot like a 21-year-old kid who had never won a game in the Western Conference finals. Bryant missed 12 of 18 shots in the first two games, calmly sunk 11 of 18 in Game 3.
Ron Harper also had a stunning turnaround in Portland. The 36-year old guard sank the game-winning jumper with 30 seconds left in Game 3. He continued his strong play in Game 4 with 18 points and seven rebounds. In the first two games of the series Harper averaged 7.5 points, missing 11 of 16 field goals. He doubled the output in Portland, going for 15 points a game on 11-of-20 shooting.
Harper wasn't the only bit player to pull a Lazarus in the Rose City. Glen Rice came alive in Game 4 with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting after a disappointing first three games of the series.
And then there's Shaq's free-throw shooting, which turned from abysmal (5-of-17 in the Game 2 loss) to perfect in Game 4 (9-of-9).
It all added up to a Lakers' 3-1 series advantage, and an opportunity with a Game 5 win at the Staple Center on Tuesday to move on to their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1991.
Book it if they continue to get production from Rice and Harper, and Shaq keeps hitting the free throws.
Sizzlin' … the countdown
| 5. Don't blame Sheed |
| Portland may be down, 3-1, against the Lakers but it's not Rasheed Wallace's fault. The All-Star forward, since being ejected in Game 1, is averaging 27.3 points (28-of-54 shooting) and 10 rebounds a game, including a career playoff-high 34 points and 13 rebounds in the Game 4 loss. |
| 4. Playoff improvement, too |
| Not only did Jalen Rose have a great regular season -- he was named the league's Most Improved Player on the heels of leading Indiana in scoring (18.2 points a game) -- he's jacked up his postseason output this year. He's averaging 21 points in the playoffs, bettering the 12.2 of last year. |
| 3. Shooting Spree |
| With big guys Patrick Ewing and Marcus Camby out and the Knicks, down 2-0 in the series, facing a must-win, Latrell Sprewell (32 points) and Allan Houston combined for 60 points to get Game 3 for New York. |
| 2. Hack-a-Shaq rebuttal |
| Shaquille O'Neal made the Blazers pay for Hack-a-Shaq in Games 3 and 4, connecting on 12 straight free throws in one stretch over the two games. |
| 1. Periphery to center stage |
| Kobe Bryant, Ron Harper and Glen Rice gave Shaq a lot of help in the Lakers' weekend sweep of the Blazers in Portland. |
Fizzlin' … the countdown
| 5. Miller flap |
| Larry Bird couldn't have made Reggie Miller too happy, sitting the star in the last two minutes of the Pacers' Game 3 loss at New York, despite the fact the team clawed to within three points with 4.6 seconds left. Turns out Bird made the move to end Miller's running dialogue with the refs. |
| 4. All nicked up |
| First, Patrick Ewing went down in Game 2 of the East finals with an injured foot (he didn't play in Game 3, questionable for Monday's Game 4), then Marcus Camby injured his knee in the first half of Game 3 and didn't return (also questionable) and then Latrell Sprewell fractured a bone in his toe in the closing seconds of Saturday's game (he's expected to play). |
| 3. Pippen goes poof |
| The Blazers were unable to sustain large first-half leads in Games 3 and 4, unable to weather Laker runs. Isn't this why the Blazers dealt for Scottie Pippen, so the cool vet could take over in game-swaying stretches? In the two Portland losses Pippen scored 23 combined points (9-of-25 shooting), or, two points less than Kobe Bryant in the Game 3, 93-91, nailbiter. |
| 2. No Smits |
| Pacer center Rik Smits was red-hot, torching the Knicks for 21 point in the first half of Knicks-Pacers' Game 3 East final on Saturday. On top of that, the Knicks best two big-guy defenders, Patrick Ewing and Marcus Camby were injured and out for the second half. So, why didn't the Pacers pound it into the 7-4 Dutchman in the second half? He only scored four points on five shot attempts after intermission. |
| 1. Punchless in Portland |
| With their two weekend losses to the Lakers, the Blazers are now 0-4 at the Rose Garden in Western Conference finals' games the past two years (San Antonio beat them twice last year to sweep the series). |
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