Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Sports: The Cincinnati PostBryant takes up slack
Kobe nets 36; Shaq held to 7
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By Tim Brown
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES -- On a day that began with Shaquille O'Neal on the Staples Center floor practicing his free throws until 1:30 in the morning, he made one in the game, and scored seven points, his career playoff low. And it didn't matter.
O'Neal lapsed into foul trouble early and spent Monday night's playoff game with a goal to stay on the floor, leaving the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers to summon the game that escaped them two days before.
So, Kobe Bryant scored 36 points, Karl Malone rediscovered his touch and the Lakers took a two games to none lead against the Houston Rockets, by 98-84 at Staples Center, in their first-round, best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Friday night in Houston.
"That's the sign of a good team, when one of your big dogs is in single figures," O'Neal said. "I just tried to do the little things. I really didn't play in important parts of the game. ... But, everybody else sucked it up."
On a night that began with early fouls against O'Neal, throwing a blanket over much of his game, the Lakers turned to Bryant, who went to the basket, Malone, who scored 17 points, many on the open jumpers he missed in Game 1, and a bench that brought Derek Fisher (11 points), Kareem Rush (10 points, all in the fourth quarter) and Slava Medvedenko (six points).
The Lakers scored nine points in the third quarter Saturday, then 30 in the decisive third quarter Monday, finding the easy points and free flow that had eluded them. Bryant scored 17 points in the third quarter alone, while the Rockets scored 18, turning a close game into a runaway.
Bryant was 4-for-19 from the floor in Game 1, which the Lakers won, 72-71. They gathered themselves and their offense, Bryant went into the gap left in O'Neal's absence, and they scored 74 points through three quarters. Malone, 3-for-14 Saturday, was 7-for-12 from the floor. Medvedenko, who backs up O'Neal at center and Malone at power forward, suffered a strained right Achilles' tendon in the first half and did not return. His status for Game 3 is uncertain.
"Everyone stayed focused," Malone said. "When Shaq picked up those fouls, everyone realized what they had to do. It was a great team effort."
O'Neal had those seven points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes, many of them spent avoiding contact. Houston center Yao Ming had 21 points, seven in the fourth quarter with the game largely out of reach.
Often, after a difficult game at the free-throw line, the corrective hours are spent on O'Neal's backyard court.
But, late Sunday night and into early Monday morning, O'Neal ran the floor and stopped and shot free throws, hoping to simulate game conditions.
He had made 15 of his last 52 free throws, including 4 of 14 in Game 1, feigned calm, and then spent two days at one free-throw line or another.
He had only three chances Monday, made the one, and stepped aside as his teammates carried the bulk of the load. They shot 45.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Rockets, 38-36.
HOUSTON (84): J.Jackson 7-13 4-5 19, Cato 1-5 0-0 2, Yao 8-19 5-7 21, Mobley 4-11 1-2 9, Francis 6-11 5-8 18, Taylor 3-7 2-4 8, Weatherspoon 1-2 2-4 4, M.Jackson 0-1 0-0 0, Nachbar 0-0 0-0 0, Padgett 1-2 0-0 3, Wilks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-71 19-30 84.
L.A. LAKERS (98): Fox 0-2 0-0 0, Malone 7-12 3-4 17, O'Neal 3-9 1-3 7, Bryant 9-20 16-17 36, Payton 3-8 0-0 6, Medvedenko 2-7 2-2 6, Fisher 4-7 1-1 11, George 0-1 0-0 0, Rush 4-5 0-0 10, Walton 1-2 0-0 3, Cook 1-2 0-0 2, Russell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-75 23-27 98.
Houston 22 24 18 20 -- 84
at L.A. Lakers 23 21 30 24 -- 98
Three-point goals -- Houston 3-10 (Padgett 1-1, Francis 1-3, J.Jackson 1-4, Mobley 0-2), L.A. Lakers 7-15 (Fisher 2-2, Rush 2-3, Bryant 2-6, Walton 1-1, Fox 0-1, Payton 0-2). Fouled out -- Cato. Rebounds -- Houston 50 (Francis 10), L.A. Lakers 46 (Malone 8). Assists -- Houston 20 (Francis 12), L.A. Lakers 27 (Payton 7). Fouls -- Houston 21, L.A. Lakers 24. A -- 18,997 (18,997).
Kobe nets 36; Shaq held to 7
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By Tim Brown
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES -- On a day that began with Shaquille O'Neal on the Staples Center floor practicing his free throws until 1:30 in the morning, he made one in the game, and scored seven points, his career playoff low. And it didn't matter.
O'Neal lapsed into foul trouble early and spent Monday night's playoff game with a goal to stay on the floor, leaving the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers to summon the game that escaped them two days before.
So, Kobe Bryant scored 36 points, Karl Malone rediscovered his touch and the Lakers took a two games to none lead against the Houston Rockets, by 98-84 at Staples Center, in their first-round, best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Friday night in Houston.
"That's the sign of a good team, when one of your big dogs is in single figures," O'Neal said. "I just tried to do the little things. I really didn't play in important parts of the game. ... But, everybody else sucked it up."
On a night that began with early fouls against O'Neal, throwing a blanket over much of his game, the Lakers turned to Bryant, who went to the basket, Malone, who scored 17 points, many on the open jumpers he missed in Game 1, and a bench that brought Derek Fisher (11 points), Kareem Rush (10 points, all in the fourth quarter) and Slava Medvedenko (six points).
The Lakers scored nine points in the third quarter Saturday, then 30 in the decisive third quarter Monday, finding the easy points and free flow that had eluded them. Bryant scored 17 points in the third quarter alone, while the Rockets scored 18, turning a close game into a runaway.
Bryant was 4-for-19 from the floor in Game 1, which the Lakers won, 72-71. They gathered themselves and their offense, Bryant went into the gap left in O'Neal's absence, and they scored 74 points through three quarters. Malone, 3-for-14 Saturday, was 7-for-12 from the floor. Medvedenko, who backs up O'Neal at center and Malone at power forward, suffered a strained right Achilles' tendon in the first half and did not return. His status for Game 3 is uncertain.
"Everyone stayed focused," Malone said. "When Shaq picked up those fouls, everyone realized what they had to do. It was a great team effort."
O'Neal had those seven points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes, many of them spent avoiding contact. Houston center Yao Ming had 21 points, seven in the fourth quarter with the game largely out of reach.
Often, after a difficult game at the free-throw line, the corrective hours are spent on O'Neal's backyard court.
But, late Sunday night and into early Monday morning, O'Neal ran the floor and stopped and shot free throws, hoping to simulate game conditions.
He had made 15 of his last 52 free throws, including 4 of 14 in Game 1, feigned calm, and then spent two days at one free-throw line or another.
He had only three chances Monday, made the one, and stepped aside as his teammates carried the bulk of the load. They shot 45.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Rockets, 38-36.
HOUSTON (84): J.Jackson 7-13 4-5 19, Cato 1-5 0-0 2, Yao 8-19 5-7 21, Mobley 4-11 1-2 9, Francis 6-11 5-8 18, Taylor 3-7 2-4 8, Weatherspoon 1-2 2-4 4, M.Jackson 0-1 0-0 0, Nachbar 0-0 0-0 0, Padgett 1-2 0-0 3, Wilks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-71 19-30 84.
L.A. LAKERS (98): Fox 0-2 0-0 0, Malone 7-12 3-4 17, O'Neal 3-9 1-3 7, Bryant 9-20 16-17 36, Payton 3-8 0-0 6, Medvedenko 2-7 2-2 6, Fisher 4-7 1-1 11, George 0-1 0-0 0, Rush 4-5 0-0 10, Walton 1-2 0-0 3, Cook 1-2 0-0 2, Russell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-75 23-27 98.
Houston 22 24 18 20 -- 84
at L.A. Lakers 23 21 30 24 -- 98
Three-point goals -- Houston 3-10 (Padgett 1-1, Francis 1-3, J.Jackson 1-4, Mobley 0-2), L.A. Lakers 7-15 (Fisher 2-2, Rush 2-3, Bryant 2-6, Walton 1-1, Fox 0-1, Payton 0-2). Fouled out -- Cato. Rebounds -- Houston 50 (Francis 10), L.A. Lakers 46 (Malone 8). Assists -- Houston 20 (Francis 12), L.A. Lakers 27 (Payton 7). Fouls -- Houston 21, L.A. Lakers 24. A -- 18,997 (18,997).
