TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Lakers Have Work To Do In Game 3

ADVERTISEMENT

By TOM WITHERS

The Associated Press

Published: June 10, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Frequent flyers, the Los Angeles Lakers were allowed an unlimited number of carry-on items for their trip home.

It remains to be seen if any of them contained momentum.

After losing two games in Boston, the Lakers returned to California on Monday in a hole as deep as Topanga Canyon. Over 96 minutes, they have looked nothing like the team which pulverized Denver, pushed aside Utah and swatted away San Antonio with ease on the way to winning the Western Conference title.

With the exception of an eight-minute stretch at the end of Game 2, Kobe Bryant and his crew have looked sickly in the finals.

However, there's no truth to the rumor they were taken from their charter plane at LAX in Paul Pierce's infamous wheelchair.

Though down 0-2, and facing history along with the league's toughest defense, the Lakers felt good about their comeback - they whacked a 24-point deficit to two over the final 7:55 - and are confident they can swing the series at the Staples Center in Game 3 tonight.

They are 8-0 in the postseason there and unbeaten in 14 home games since March 28.

"All they did is protect their home court," said Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic, who made two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 108-102 loss and had a potential go-ahead 3 blocked by Pierce with 14 seconds left. "All they did was protect their home court, so it's going to be a different story in L.A."

Only three teams: Boston against Los Angeles in 1969, Portland against Philadelphia in 1977, and Miami against Dallas in 2006 have overcome an 0-2 deficit to win it all. The Lakers have some work to do if they intend to be the fourth.

Through two games, they have been outhustled, outmuscled, outeverythinged by a Celtics team now two wins from a 17th NBA championship. Following Sunday's loss, Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson was asked if the team can carry the momentum from their failed, frantic fourth-quarter comeback into Game 3.

"No, no," said Jackson, who has been delivering one-liners like Rodney Dangerfield during the series. "It's 2,500 miles away. It's too far to carry it."

Jackson, 9-1 in the finals, is right. Since the 2-3-2 format began in 1985, no home team has won the middle three games.

The Lakers are capable of doing it, but they'll need Bryant to start being himself and make some shots. He's 20 of 49 in two games. They need Pau Gasol to assert himself from start to finish, and they'll need their touted bench to do more than it has done so far.

BULLS: Vinny Del Negro has been offered Chicago's head coaching job, according to a person within the league who is familiar with the situation.

An official announcement, which could come this week, would end a nearly two-month search that included courtships of Mike D'Antoni and Doug Collins.

Del Negro, the assistant general manager of the Phoenix Suns, would take over a team that went from 49 wins to 49 losses this past season.

PISTONS: Michael Curry will be Detroit's next coach after having played for the team and worked as an assistant.

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press that Curry will be introduced at a news conference today.

Curry agreed to a three-year deal worth $2.5 million a year, with the team holding the option for a fourth season.

SUNS: Introduced Terry Porter as their new coach. Porter, 45, comes to the Suns from the Pistons, where he served as an assistant coach.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT