Posted on 06/05/2002 9:50:49 PM PDT by diamond6
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- What began as a mismatch turned into something mildly intriguing.
The Los Angeles Lakers gave everyone a little suspense in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, letting a 23-point lead slip to three in the fourth quarter before they finished off the New Jersey Nets 99-94 Wednesday night.
Nobody will remember this one as an NBA classic, especially the underdogs representing the Eastern Conference. The Nets were out of their league in the first 15 minutes of the game, digging themselves a hole that was too deep to climb out of.
Shaquille O'Neal was as dominant as everyone expected, totaling 36 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Kobe Bryant did his thing, too, scoring 22 points with six assists -- the biggest of which was his feed to Rick Fox for a layup with 1:11 left that gave Los Angeles a 95-87 lead.
For the most part, Los Angeles stayed in control and dictated the style of play, keeping the Nets from playing the uptempo game they prefer. The Lakers also were the more aggressive rebounders and the more accurate free throw shooters -- two huge intangibles on a night when the Lakers weren't crisp offensively over the final 2 1/2 quarters.
The Lakers wrapped things up by going 6-for-8 from the free throw line over the final two minutes. The Nets had a few chances to hit 3-pointers and turn it into a two-point game in the final 30 seconds, but they couldn't come up with the key buckets.
Game 2 is Friday night at Staples Center.
Jason Kidd had 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the first triple-double in the NBA Finals since Charles Barkley did it for Phoenix in 1993. But no one else seemed prepared to assert himself for the Nets, whether it was Kenyon Martin refusing to take wide-open jumpers, Keith Van Horn failing to get going early or Kerry Kittles not doing much of anything all night.
Most damaging to the Nets was their free-throw shooting, as they missed 11 of 26 attempts.
Rick Fox added 14 points and Derek Fisher had 13 for the Lakers, whose only deficit was 2-0.
The game lacked the level of electricity normally found at an NBA Finals, the celebrity studded crowd acting as relaxed and casual as the Lakers played. The Nets gave them only scant opportunities to get nervous, pulling within four points midway through the third and within three with 5:26 left.
"I think we were kind of lackadaisical," O'Neal said, summing it up perfectly.
The pace of the game changed drastically in the fourth quarter, with fouls whistled on nearly every possession. O'Neal missed two free throws with 6:12 left, and Kidd hit a long 2-pointer to pull the Nets to 81-77. O'Neal then made one of two, and a dunk by Van Horn off an offensive rebound got New Jersey within three.
Fox restored a five-point lead, Van Horn missed a 3 and O'Neal bulled over Jason Collins for a layup and a seven-point edge with four minutes left.
New Jersey was able to get within four points four times after that, but never closer.
In the early going, the Nets were as tentative and hesitant as the Lakers were relaxed and confident.
The Nets looked good for about 20 seconds in the first quarter, then the Lakers started looking like champs. An 8-0 run gave them a 10-4 lead, and Bryant dribbled around his back and fed O'Neal for a layup.
A 3-pointer by Fisher made it 19-8, causing the Nets to call a timeout and bringing the first chant of "three-peat" from the crowd. An obviously frustrated Martin fouled O'Neal by grabbing him around the waist late in the quarter as Los Angeles was on its way to a 29-14 lead after 12 minutes.
The Lakers' onslaught didn't cease in the early part of the second quarter, with O'Neal hitting a 9-foot turnaround, a dunk and a 6-foot fadeaway -- all on assists from Brian Shaw -- to take a 42-19 lead.
New Jersey responded with a 14-4 run and pulled to 48-36 at halftime, and the Nets had to be somewhat satisfied that they were at least within striking distance after what was probably their most miserable half of the postseason.
After Van Horn hit two 3-pointers early in the third, Bryant drove the lane and threw down a crowd-pleasing slam for a 56-44 lead. A 3-pointer by Kittles pulled the Nets to 60-56, but the Lakers quickly went back ahead by double digits.
Kidd scored on a drive but failed to complete the three-point play with 1:13 remaining, leaving New Jersey trailing 68-63, and the Lakers scored then final five points of the period to take a 72-63 lead into the fourth.
Notes: Magic Johnson, whose upcoming induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame was announced earlier Wednesday, received a huge standing ovation during a first-quarter timeout. ... Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he foresees a role in this series for Mitch Richmond, who is in the Finals for the first time in his 13-year career. "Mitch walked through the door Tuesday morning and said, 'Don't forget about me, coach. I'll be ready to play in this one." I said, 'I won't,'" Jackson said. Richmond, however, did not play. ... Collins played eight minutes in the fourth quarter and fouled O'Neal five times.
I pity you. The Warriors suck! So do the Clippers for that matter! So, because you're a NoCal, you have that NoCal bias.
I was rooting for the Kings not only because I have despised the Lakers ever since I became a Warriors fan, but because they -- like the Yankees of the past decade -- are heralded as conquerors before they have earned the distinction.
Jealous? Another reason for bias.
Even if they turn out to be right, it is profound disrespectful to the other competitors to suggest that they shouldn't even bother playing. And here you are, singing "We Are The Champions" before game 2 of the Finals. Typical.
Ha! This is particularly amusing. What can I say, I love to sing, and "We Are The Champions" is one of my favorite songs. Did you in the Bible it says to speak what you want as if you have it, before you get it?
BTW, I have never suggested that we not play the championship. I'm enjoying it. And I don't see what it is so disrespectful about calling ourselves champions. We are the reigning back to back champions, are we not?
Fans like yourself are part of the reason I root against teams like the Lakers, the Yankees, the Red Wings, Miami University, Notre Dame, and the Williams sisters.
Fans like you make it all the more enjoyable, when we win. I love the fact that there are so many people that hate the Lakers, because it means the focus will always be on them.
After the Lakers won game 6 a local radio host for Sacramento wanted to interview some Laker fans about their hopes of winning game 7 in Sacramento. The very first one was asked, "So do you think your team can pull off an upset like this one more time in Sacramento?
Laker fan, "You mean they have to play another game?"
The Nets gave the Lakers so much respect that Collins was asking Shaq for an autograph late in the fourth quarter with about a minute to go in the game. Just look at the replay, even the refs called this one wrong, you see Collins draped all over Shaq's back with both hands swating Shaq's body five or six times. After the sixth time, and three seconds in the paint later, one of refs blew the whistle and thought that Collins was fouling Shaq! Collins was just looking for a pen!
The Nets looked like a High School team in awe of finally playing a real NBA Team.
A couple of Lakers Fans drove from LA to game seven in Sacramento. While in the parking lot at Arco Arena they told a Kings fan how easy it was to get tickets, they bought theirs right after game six.
"Really? Game seven was sold out 10 minutes after the tickets went on sale. What section are you in?"
Lakers fan, "Section 114."
Kings fan, "That's a great location, season ticket holders sit there. What row?"
"Row 17."
Kings fan, "That's funny our rows have letters, not numbers. Can I see your tickets?"
The two Lakers fans drove to Sacramento, after they bought two ten dollar tickets to view the game on the big screen in the Staples Center!
Before the series with the Lakers, I had a great deal of respect for Shaq and Kobe. I am really a fan of the NBA, because of that I went to Kings games to watch the great teams and players play. The powder blue Kings looked forward to draft picks in October, so while you hoped the Kings would beat the real teams at home, you went to games because you loved the game.
After Shaq's classless comments about how the Kings could only win by cheating, I discounted Shaq as a favorite of mine. After Kobe lied about food poisoning for several days, and after he let Bibby head butt his forearm, Kobe lost most favored player status. Jackson never had my respect, I could coach the Lakers now and take them to the playoffs. I could have sat on the sideline while Jordan and Pippen managed the Bulls.
Jackson, the Lakers, the media, and Laker fans had nothing but disrespect for the Kings prior to their series. Only a Socal attorney would disrespect them now.
Sure the Kings fans are whinners, but the three LA radio stations were lined up with fans doing the same thing, and about the same thing, referees. Even if the league does nothing to change the referee problem, the Kings are fortunate now to have a team that has a chance against 5v8.
I hope the Lakers make it to the conference finals next year, we would pefer them over the Mavs or the Spurs. You as a typical, arrogant, Laker fan will make the victory much sweeter.
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