So who wants to spend a week in Indianapolis?
That will be determined for Portland and the Lakers in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals Sunday in Los Angeles. A seventh game became necessary when the Trail Blazers rallied from a two-game deficit to even the series, beating the Lakers 103-93 Friday night at the Rose Garden.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Blazers guard Steve Smith said. “Once we get back down there, anything can go. It’s not about record or home-court losses. It’s about one game and seeing what we’re made of.”
The nagging question coming into Game 6 was Kobe Bryant’s nagging foot injury. The star Lakers guard didn’t practice after hurting the foot in Game 5, but opened the game by making a three-point play and played the entire first quarter.
Portland, sensing Bryant was a bit hobbled, went after him on offense as the Lakers tried to hide Bryant by having him defend the ineffective Damon Stoudamire.
“He said he was having lateral direction problems,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, referring to Bryant’s defense.
After the Lakers jumped to an 11-8 lead, the Blazers scored 12 straight points, mostly with Stoudamire swooshing by the Los Angeles defense, to take a 20-11 lead. They were up 26-15 after one quarter.
“I’ve just been rolling with the punches,” said Stoudamire, who was averaging just seven points and played sparingly against the Lakers in the first five games. “I’ve just had to be patient and not get down.”
The Lakers once again were down early, a pattern of this series.
“They have been a fast-starting team in all the games,” Jackson said of the Blazers. “That’s been their menu–high energy, a great charge to get a lead and dictate terms. We’re a team that usually adjusts to the ballgame, measures the team. That’s our strength. We’d like to get a lead, but that’s not the priority of our team.”
If winning were, the first half was a disaster as the Lakers appeared flustered and frustrated while the Blazers were exploiting mismatches at will. The Lakers seemed confused about where to go for points and missed nine of 16 free throws in the first half, while Portland shot 56.1 percent against a soft Lakers defense and led 49-39 at halftime.
The Lakers pulled within four early in the third quarter, but Portland regained control and led 71-63 after three quarters. And Portland played Houdini by making a 350-pound man all but disappear–Shaquille O’Neal had just 13 points through three quarters.
Bryant led the Lakers with 14 in the first half, while Stoudamire and Smith had 12 each.
“It’s not unusual for players with a great amount of talent to play a more contained game and have a great game [when hurt],” Jackson said.
Portland was outrebounding the Lakers and scoring easily inside, enjoying a surprising 30-16 edge in the lane in the first half.
“Defense has to be a priority for us,” Jackson said before the game. “Everyone has to be real active.”
Seems the Blazers were the ones listening.
