[0] BAD GRADE ON UPGRADE; `IMPROVED' LAKERS FRUSTRATED AGAIN BY JAZZ : UTAH 106, LAKERS 93.Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer Scramble the roster, add a 3-point-shooting ace, a dominant rebounder and, hey, toss in a rookie point guard for good measure. They tried it all, but no number of additions and subtractions could help the Lakers solve the puzzle that caused them to fail last May's final exam Noun 1. final exam - an examination administered at the end of an academic term final examination, final exam, examination, test - a set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge; "when the test was stolen the professor had to make a new set of . Same Utah Jazz, same result Tuesday night at the Forum. Even with Glen Rice Glen Anthony Rice (born May 28 1967, in Flint where he played for Flint Northwestern High School, Michigan) is a retired American NBA basketball player. Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star small forward well known for his pinpoint shooting accuracy, ranking 4th in NBA history with , Dennis Rodman and recently activated rookie Tyronn Lue Tyronn Jamar Lue (born on May 3, 1977 in Mexico, Missouri) is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA in the 2006-07 season. He is currently an unrestricted free agent. sharing the floor for the new-look Lakers, the old-look Jazz stuck it to them again in a 106-93 victory before a charged but disappointed sellout crowd. Ironically, the Lakers had beaten the Jazz at the Delta Center just last month, just before they traded Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell Elden Jerome Campbell (born July 23, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is an American former professional basketball player who played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Campbell played college basketball at Clemson University. to Charlotte for Rice and J.R. Reid. So much for upgrades. Despite hanging with the Jazz and leading by four points early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers collapsed down the stretch and had fallen to a double-digit deficit by the 3:45 mark, with Shandon Anderson Shandon Rodriguez Anderson (born December 31, 1973 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA, currently a free agent who most recently played with the Miami Heat. and Karl Malone When he wasn't wrestling Rodman, Malone was hitting all 12 of his field goals for a game-high 30 points. Anderson added 12 off the bench - all in the fourth quarter. Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). led the Lakers with 24 points and Rick Fox came off the bench for 19. But the Lakers shot a dismal 41 percent, including a 3-for-10 night from Rice and a 6-for-14 performance from Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born July 23 1978) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. . The only bright spot was Lue, scoring 12 points and handing out six assists in 23 minutes. Win or lose, coach Kurt Rambis Darrell Kurt Rambis (born February 25, 1958 in Cupertino, California) is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. had said he wouldn't ascribe any special significance to the game on the sole basis of the opponent. A barometer game? Not to Rambis. ``I've never done that. I just can't ever see the logic of that, even when I was a ballplayer,'' he said before tipoff. ``You try to get up for every ballgame. I just don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how this game, record-wise, is any more important than any other ballgame.'' The fact is, all games are of increased importance now, with the Lakers fighting for home-court advantage in the playoffs and still within striking distance of the Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers are a professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise, based in Portland throughout its existence, entered the league in 1970 and has won the NBA Championship once, in 1977. for the Pacific Division lead. Starting with tonight's game at Sacramento, the Lakers have 14 games left to make a run, and four of those contests are against the Trail Blazers. ``Realistically, when you look at it, if we win by 30 or lose by 30 (to Utah), I don't know what that means,'' Rambis said. ``It still comes down to, are we playing our best basketball at the end of the year and how well we do in the playoffs.'' The third meeting of the season between the Jazz and Lakers had a little of everything - the usual rough play, a heap of personal fouls, a few technical fouls, a tossed coach and a potential breakthrough performance by a Lakers rookie. Rodman earned his team-leading 11th technical of the season during the first quarter, when he yanked Malone to the floor by his jersey. Utah coach Jerry Sloan outdid out·did v. Past tense of outdo. Rodman, getting a pair of technicals, earning an automatic ejection with 10:52 left in the third. O'Neal got the fourth technical of the night for yapping in the fourth quarter. But the first half was nothing if not a coming-out party for Lakers point guard Tyronn Lue. The rookie out of Nebraska got his first significant minutes of the season when he entered early in the second quarter for the injured Derek Fisher. And Lue wasted no time displaying the skills that made him one of the top point guards in the 1998 draft and a favorite of Lakers management. The Lakers were down by seven points when Lue entered the game, and he quickly led them on a 12-5 run to tie the game for the first time all night, at 34-all. By the end of the half, with Lue aggressively pushing the ball upcourt and dishing out three assists to go with four points, the Lakers had taken a 51-50 lead. And Lue had played more minutes than starter Derek Harper. And Forum had itself a new fan favorite, dousing the rookie with hearty calls of ``Loooooo.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color) The Lakers' Dennis Rodman beats Karl Malone to a rebound in the first quarter. Later, he pulled Malone down and got a technical. John McCoy/Daily News |
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