[0] LAKERS TOWER OVER SPURS; ROBINSON, DUNCAN CONTAINED : LAKERS 91, SAN ANTONIO 84.Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer The empty locker room before tipoff Friday night could have been coincidence, but it appeared more like a statement. During the time frame they usually meet with reporters, most of the Lakers were somewhere more comfortable - either on the sanctuary of the Forum floor or safely out of sight in some back hallway of the auditorium. The message was clear: No more talk of rumored player revolts and speculation about coaching changes. After two days of turmoil surrounding a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of media report that coach Del Harris would be fired, the Lakers tried to return to business as usual. Their mission was wildly successful, as the Lakers dumped the San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and are the current NBA Champions after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. 91-84 and continued to muzzle the unfounded rumors with their second straight victory over a playoff team. ``We hadn't been doing too well against good teams. Somewhere, somehow, down the road in the playoffs you gotta get some kind of confidence from playing a good team like that,'' said Rick Fox, who scored 17 points. ``We've had some success now, it's something to build on. There's a lot of reasons to feel good about it.'' Not the least of which is that the Lakers are now 3-0 against the Spurs, giving them the tiebreaking advantage when it comes time for playoff seedings. As if a recent losing streak and the related turmoil weren't enough motivation to turn things around, the Lakers got an extra dose of inspiration before tipoff in an unusual format: a memo. Lakers executive Jerry West
Message received and filed. ``We needed it. No doubt, we needed to get refocused,'' Robert Horry Robert Horry (born August 25, 1970 in Harford County, Maryland) is an American National Basketball Association basketball player. Currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Horry is is known for his ability to make clutch shots in big games. said. ``It meant a lot,'' Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9 1974 in Little Rock, Arkansas) is an American professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was with the Utah Jazz but asked to be released from his contract to care for his 10-month-old daughter, who has cancer. said, ``because it's the truth.'' In a game that pitted San Antonio San Antonio (săn ăntō`nēō, əntōn`), city (1990 pop. 935,933), seat of Bexar co., S central Tex., at the source of the San Antonio River; inc. 1837. twin towers David Robinson David Robinson or Dave Robinson is a name shared by the following individuals:
Fisher was scoreless at halftime and scored only four points in the third quarter. But in the fourth he proved you can't contain the guy nicknamed ``Fish'' - you can only hope to fillet fillet /fil·let/ (fil´et) 1. a loop, as of cord or tape, for making traction on the fetus. 2. in the nervous system, a long band of nerve fibers. fil·let n. 1. him. But Fisher rattled off 13 points in the fourth quarter - 11 in the last 4:14 - to lead the final charge. He's looking more and more like the starting point guard, less like injured Nick Van Exel's part-time sub. ``I just wanted to wait my turn,'' he said of the late spurt. ``Things are going well for me. I'm just taking advantage of my opportunities.'' O'Neal led the Lakers with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Friday's victory symbolically closed out a week of turmoil for the Lakers, a week that began with back-to-back losses at New York and Washington and hit a season-low with Wednesday's published rumor that Harris would soon be fired. But basketball was the only order of the evening Friday, Harris having already quashed discussion of his job security on Thursday. Aside from the conspicuously empty locker room before the game, and the memos from West taped to players' seats, all seemed normal at the world headquarters of Lakers Inc. The night began ominously for the Lakers, as O'Neal and Campbell both had to sit out the morning shootaround. Campbell, who was needed to offset Duncan, was nursing a cervical strain. O'Neal, meanwhile, was suffering a painful flare-up in his left big toe big toe n. The largest and innermost toe of the human foot. , the result of an infection from an ingrown toenail ingrown toenail Onychocryptosis Podiatry The growth of the edge of a toenail–usually of the great toe–into the skin surrounding the nail, which may be accompanied by inflammation or pain Etiology congenitally curved nails, fungal infection, trauma Risk that has caused problems off and on since the 1996 Olympics. But Campbell was cleared to play before tipoff, and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color) Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, ignoring the effects of an infected toe, backs into San Antonio's Will Perdue. Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press |
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