June 3, 2000 SportsLine.com wire reports

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Bonzi Wells came out of the shower in just a white towel and found that his locker was blocked by a cluster of reporters around Damon Stoudamire

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"My mama don't want me naked," Wells said, reaching for his clothes.

This wasn't a usual night for the 23-year-old kid from Muncie, Ind., however. The crowd simply shifted one locker over, leaving Stoudamire for the most compelling star of the Portland Trail Blazers' Game 6 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wells, a second-year shooting guard from Ball State, scored a career playoff-high 20 points Friday night, blowing past the Lakers for easy layups and hitting jumpers.

"I kind of felt like it was street-ball playing," Wells said. "You get your bucket, I'll get my bucket. I just wanted to be aggressive and finish."

Wells played just eight minutes in the Blazers' first-round win over Minnesota, and he didn't score a point. In the second round against Utah, he scored 17 and 19 points in Games 2 and 3, but barely played in the last two.

"I was a little frustrated, but this is sweet right now. This is what the guys told me was going to happen to me if I be patient and if I keep working hard, and it's paid off for me," he said. "Coach (Mike) Dunleavy's really showed a lot of confidence in me, and I'm just trying to pay him back."

Wells averaged about 10 minutes during the first two playoff series, but his playing time has doubled against the Lakers. With Stoudamire's height disadvantage against Kobe Bryant, Wells has been instrumental in helping guard Bryant, or doing the job by himself.

Stoudamire, who scored just six points combined in the previous two games, had 14 Friday night and seven rebounds. Wells kept up the pressure, scoring 14 of his points in the fourth. Smith, who starts ahead of Wells, scored 26 points.

Leading 71-63 to start the fourth quarter, the Blazers went back to their big lineup of Wells, Smith, Brian Grant, Scottie Pippen and Arvydas Sabonis to shut down the Lakers.

At times, the Lakers had to double-team Wells and Smith.

"Steve and I are two of the biggest two (shooting) guards in the league," the 6-foot-5 Wells said. "If they keep us one-on-one, we should just have a good time going against them, and if they double us, we've got to find the open man."

Wells, who grew up 26 miles from Indianapolis, hopes to go back there -- to play the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals.

"I'll try to go home and try to tear the life out of them," Wells said. "It'll be a good championship for me."

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