Posted on 06/08/2002 1:36:48 AM PDT by diamond6
Posted: Friday June 07, 2002 10:16 PM Updated: Saturday June 08, 2002 3:12 AM
Kobe Bryant's Lakers have put Jason Kidd's Nets in an 0-2 series hole. AP LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The task of stopping Shaquille O'Neal appears to be an impossible one for the New Jersey Nets. Preventing the Los Angeles Lakers from winning a third straight NBA title looks pretty improbable, too.
In another display of his massive superiority, O'Neal had such a great game that even his free-throw shooting was stunning. Scoring 40 points, making several pretty passes and doing just about nothing wrong, O'Neal led the Lakers to a 106-83 victory over the Nets on Friday night.
"That game was dedicated to Rick Adelman," said O'Neal, who was offended that the coach of the Sacramento Kings went on television Thursday and took potshots at O'Neal and the Lakers, saying the 7-footer routinely commits lane violations when he shoots free throws.
"Can't I go one day without somebody saying something negative about me?"
Maybe that day has finally arrived, because only the nittiest of nitpickers could find something wrong with O'Neal's Game 2.
The Lakers took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals, toying with their opponents while never trailing. Los Angeles led by as many as 20 points, let the Nets creep back within six early in the fourth and then quickly ended any comeback thoughts New Jersey might have had.
LAKERS 106, NETS 83 Fast Breaks
CNNSI.com looks at the storylines of the Lakers' Game 2 victory. Analysis and Stories • Recap | Game Summary • Burns: Nets need 'mob' mentality • Kidd a non-factor in Game 2 • 'Supporting cast' does dirty work • Notebook: Horry close to fifth ring Pregame • Burns: Triangle vs. Princeton • McCallum: Unsung contributors • It might be Kobe's time to shine • Nets' Martin vows to keep shooting
NBA Finals Game 2
Click the image to launch the clip
Jason Kidd says the Nets will have to try harder to find an answer for Shaquille O'Neal. Start
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rick Fox says the Lakers' role players always find ways to contribute.
Video Plus Visit Video Plus for all the latest video and audio.
The most memorable image from this game may have been O'Neal standing at the foul line, his right arm extended in a follow-through as he watched free throw after free throw go in. The Nets sent the notoriously poor foul shooter to the line 14 times, and O'Neal knocked down a dozen of them while showing a surprisingly soft touch.
"He's showing he can do it all now," said New Jersey's Jason Kidd.
The Nets stuck with single-coverage against O'Neal in the first half, then finally went to double- and triple-teams in the second half. But no matter what wrinkles they threw at O'Neal, there was no stopping the NBA's most unstoppable force.
The 350-pound center had six dunks to go along with an array of short jumpers and bank shots as he finished just six points shy of his career playoff high.
"As you know, this is not a fluke. This is what he does at this time of year," teammate Rick Fox said. "It's a big stage; the world is watching. He's been MVP of the last two, and he's going for three."
Kobe Bryant added a quiet 24 points and Derek Fisher had 12 for the Lakers, who can win their third consecutive championship and give coach Phil Jackson his ninth title in 12 years by winning just two more games.
Game 3 is Sunday night at New Jersey, just a few miles from O'Neal's hometown of Newark. And unless the Nets find a way to contain him, their prospects of bringing the series back to Los Angeles are slim.
"He's just such a dominant player; I don't know what to do against Shaq," Nets coach Byron Scott said.
O'Neal was 14-for-23 from the field with team-high totals of 12 rebounds and eight assists. He left to a thunderous standing ovation with just over a minute remaining.
"He's playing at a level now where he's in his prime, and there's nothing that anybody can do about that," Bryant said.
Kerry Kittles scored 23 points and Kidd added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Nets.
The game got away from New Jersey late in the third quarter after Kidd made two free throws to cut the deficit to 65-57.
O'Neal passed out of double coverage and found Bryant for a 3-pointer, then hit four consecutive free throws and a 9-foot fadeaway. A 3-pointer by Brian Shaw off an assist from O'Neal completed a 12-0 run and gave the Lakers a 77-57 lead.
New Jersey scored the final four points of the third quarter and made three quick 3-pointers early in the fourth to pull within 83-77, but O'Neal went to the line and scored points 39 and 40 with 7:19 left.
Fisher hit a 3-pointer off an assist from O'Neal with 5:53 left for a 90-79 lead, and the Lakers turned it into a blowout by closing the game with a 12-0 run.
With Kidd scoreless and O'Neal all but unstoppable, the Nets still found themselves trailing only 49-43 at halftime.
New Jersey shot just 15-for-49 in the half, including 0-for-6 on 3-pointers, and missed four of eight free throws in the second quarter. But the Nets were able to hang in by controlling the offensive glass, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds to the Lakers' three.
O'Neal reached 30 points by dunking and making a free throw off a perfect pick-and-roll pass from Bryant with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third -- just before the Lakers' 12-0 run gave them a lead that was too big for the Nets to overcome.
"I'm not trying to intimidate anyone. I'm just trying to win," O'Neal said. "I'm just focusing on number three. I don't get into that intimidation."
A steal and dunk by Bryant gave Los Angeles its first double-digit lead, 23-13, and Robert Horry delivered a beautiful touch pass on the break leading to a dunk by O'Neal that made it 27-17.
O'Neal dunked off an inbounds pass and converted a three-point play early in the second quarter, giving him 21 points and the Lakers a 40-31 lead. O'Neal also mixed in a little Showtime of his own, hitting Shaw with a no-look pass for a layup.
By the time he went to the bench with 56 seconds left in the half, O'Neal had 23 points in 22 minutes.
Notes: Bryant was visibly upset with the officiating at several times, including one instance late in the second quarter when his face slammed into Jason Collins' elbow. ... O'Neal caused a blonde starlet in the front row to blush when he smiled at her and said hello during a brief stoppage in play in the third quarter. ... Nets guard Lucious Harris struggled again on offense, shooting 0-for-9 after going only 1-for-5 in Game 1.
Things are going to get hairy, if they aren't already, with American basketball increasingly resembling athletics in the former East Germany.
By the way I don't like calling the Nets the Gnats. I like the Nots better.
Looks like our sports writers go to the same school as the editorialists. Wasn't it a 23 point win?
Hummmmm.....Shaq might have a little something to say about that, but nevertheless the Lakers played great last night. My only regret is they have to beat former Laker Byron Scott.
Those pre-series comparisons between Bibby & Kidd were a joke. Jason Kidd is not even close to Mike Bibby.
Get your O'Cedars ready - this series is in the 4-game refrigerator.
No, the Bible doesn't say that. And God doesn't care who wins ball games.
Oh, it doesn't? How about these choice verses:
Mark 11:23 - "Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown in to this sea' and does not doubt in his heart but believes what he says will happen, it shall be done for him."
Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
Job 22:28 - Thou shalt also decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee, and light shal shine upon thy ways.
Prov. 18:20 - A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
Furthermore,if God didn't care who wins, they why did he create Shaquille O'Neal, all 350 pounds of him? Shaq is unique. No one else can compare!
"...the focus will always be on them?" What's it to you? Are you a Laker?
I quite frankly don't understand fans like you. Are you one of those people whose self-esteem is wrapped up in whether his/her team wins or loses? You said you pity me -- I have a feeling I should pity you.
You're the one balling like a baby over spilled milk, claiming that it was sour. My self esteem is just fine. I take losses in stride, because as a Los Angeles fan, I've had a lot of championships to be happy about. I know it's hard for you to be gracious loser, since you've had very little to cheer about in the Bay Area for a long time, especially with the Warriors. Go ahead and pity me while I'm on top of a fire truck with the Lakers in downtown Los Angeles next Friday at the Championship celebration. I'll wave to you.
Yup, you're absolutely right. The rules for the Lakers include letting whoever's taking Shaq get away with bloody murder during the game without calling a foul. For every other team in the league, the call is a foul. Two sets of rules: One, for the mere mortals or "regular basketball players", and another for Shaq. It's unfair that he is 100 pounds heavier than everyone else, can move quickly and with agility, and at the same time carry another player on top of his back while dunking the ball. Yup, you have to even it up for all other teams somehow, otherwise they wouldn't be within 30 points of the Lakers.
And you're right. Kobe shouldn't have moved his elbows when Bibby had his face on them and was bear hugging Kobe. That was a terrible thing to do! What was Kobe thinking?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.