Just as quickly as they became giant-killers, the Los Angeles Lakers went back to being underdogs again Thursday night at the Great Western Forum with a 101-86 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
“Phoenix showed they are the best in the league,” said Lakers coach Randy Pfund. “At this point, we’re facing a near-impossible task. We’ve been the underdog all through this. Now, we’re the real, supreme undergog.”
So close to knocking off Charles Barkley and the Suns, the Lakers were nearly blown out by the team with the NBA’s best regular-season record and are headed back to Phoenix for a decisive fifth game Saturday.
“We won two games there,” said Pfund. “It’s a one-game series now. Anything could happen. I think the fifth game will also be a good one.”
Dominating Thursday’s game with its quick feet, Phoenix opened up a healthy lead early in the third quarter with its fast break and never let the Lakers’ bigger front line catch up.
Barkley led all scorers with 28 points and 11 rebounds, including a left-handed toss into the basket as he fell out of bounds with seven minutes left. That play seemed to demoralize the Lakers, if not seal the outcome.
His performance-13 of 21 from the field-was a marked improvement on his poor shooting in the first three games.
Still, the usually outspoken Barkely chose to be reserved.
“I’m not sure who’s got the home-court advantage now,” he said. “We haven’t won a (series) game in Phoenix. Why should I be overly confident going back there? We’re alive, out of an unbelievable situation.”
No top seed has ever lost to an eighth seed in the NBA playoffs, and the top-rated Suns are determined not to be the first. But, no team has won a best-of-five series after losing the first two games on its home court, as Phoenix did last week.
The only time road teams won all games in a playoff series was in 1984, when the New Jersey Nets faced the pre-Barkley Suns.
Thursday, the Lakers had come out like gangbusters after the second-half tipoff, making up a four-point deficit quickly behind Vlade Divac’s drives to the hoop. Divac, who led his team with 17 points, put the Lakers ahead 46-45 at the 10 minute mark in the third quarter with a three-point play after driving down the right side of the lane for a layup.
He had brought them to within 45-43 moments earlier with a basket off an offensive rebound.
After baskets by Barkley and center Mark West, the Lakers’ Byron Scott tied the score at 51-51 with a three-point “Hail Mary” jumper. But the Suns then took total control, ripping off a 21-8 run that left them solidly in the lead, 71-59, at the end of the third quarter.
An Oliver Miller layup, a Danny Ainge three-pointer and two baskets by Barkley highlighted the run.
The Suns took a 43-39 lead into halftime using a simple, well-worn philosophy: Let Barkley do it.
After a time out with 3:07 left in the second half and the score tied at 37-37, Phoenix went to Barkley three straight times, and he responded with three straight baskets-unanswered by the Lakers.
First he drove for a dunk. Then he drove for an easy layup down the right side of the lane. The third time down the floor, Barkley faked at the high post and lofted a soft jumper through the net.
Meanwhile, on the Lakers’ end of the court, Elden Campbell was called for charging, Divac missed a jumper from the left corner and Campbell missed two free throws.
The Lakers went scoreless for more than three minutes after the timeout, ending their drought only when Scott hit two free throws with :36 left in the half.
Both teams were plagued by poor shooting in the first half, though the Suns’ baskets came a lot easier.
Point guard Kevin Johnson consistently hustled the ball up-court, driving for layups or dishing off to his teammates for short jumpbers. He finished the half with nine points, while Barkley led all scorers with 15.
