[0] ROCKETS FEEL AT HOME : LAKERS GO 8 MINUTES WITHOUT A POINT AND LOSES PLAYOFF OPENER.Byline: Marc Stein Marc Stein is a sports reporter. He began writing for ESPN.com in 2000 and signed on full-time in 2002 to serve as the site's senior National Basketball Association writer. Daily News Staff Writer Hollywood's basketball team might need a new theme for its season. Dazed daze tr.v. dazed, daz·ing, daz·es 1. To stun, as with a heavy blow or shock; stupefy. 2. To dazzle, as with strong light. n. A stunned or bewildered condition. and Confused, perhaps. That was certainly the state of the Lakers late Thursday night, after their one legitimate edge over the twice-crowned kings of the NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= was lost on the very first night of the playoffs. The Lakers endured 82 tough games and a handful of controversies to get homecourt advantage Noun 1. homecourt advantage - the advantage of playing on your home court in front of fans who are rooting for you advantage, vantage - the quality of having a superior or more favorable position; "the experience gave him the advantage over me" against the Houston Rockets, and already it's gone. Largely because, as seen in an 87-83 defeat in Game 1 of this first-round showdown, L.A. seemingly can't decide how to play. A downcast down·cast adj. 1. Directed downward: a downcast glance. 2. Low in spirits; depressed. See Synonyms at depressed. downcast Adjective 1. Magic Johnson “Earvin Johnson” redirects here. For the Milwaukee Bucks center, see Ervin Johnson. Earvin Effay Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan), nicknamed Magic , his return to the postseason after a five-year absence ruined by the Rockets' focus, described the discrepancy between the sides thusly thus·ly adv. Usage Problem Thus. Usage Note: Thusly was introduced in the 19th century as an alternative to thus in sentences such as Hold it thus or He put it thus. : ``They knew what they we're going to do to win the game. And we were like, `What are we going to do?' '' Answers must come quickly for the Lakers, who are now obliged to win Saturday's Game 2 in front of another Forum sellout and then steal one of two games in Houston to force a Game 5 back in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Johnson, however, didn't exactly sound hopeful, still shellshocked by a fourth quarter that saw the Lakers miss 10 of their first 11 shots and go scoreless for almost eight minutes to help drop their field-goal percentage for the evening to 34.9 percent. This from the club that averaged 104.2 points in the 40 games since Johnson unretired Jan. 30 - and in spite of Cedric Ceballos' four-day walkout in March and suspensions served by Nick Van Exel Nickey (Nick) Maxwell Van Exel (born November 27 1971 in Kenosha, Wisconsin) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. Van Exel, a 6'1" left-handed point guard, was most well known for his flashy style of play and his ability to hit critical shots during and Johnson for confrontations with referees. ``I'm frustrated because we have to be on the attack,'' said Johnson, choosing his words carefully as he explained what appears to be a philosophical conflict with Lakers coach Del Harris. ``We can't be worrying about (Hakeem Olajuwon) all the time. ``I guess I've never been on this side before. I 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 to play this way.'' Olajuwon definitely merits concern - he had a game-high 33 points and eight rebounds against mostly single coverage for the two-time defending champions - but it is Johnson's belief that the Lakers are too awestruck awe·struck also awe·strick·en adj. Full of awe. awestruck Adjective overcome or filled with awe Adj. 1. by the Dream. Johnson's other complaint was the role Harris outlined for him in the opener. In the first half, Johnson was told to work from the perimeter. After the break, Johnson was moved back down low, where he wanted to be all along, but . . . ``When I tried to turn it on, it wasn't there,'' said Johnson, who finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds - but only three assists - in 36 minutes. Harris met the media before Johnson spoke. He didn't blame Johnson, or the Lakers' 22 turnovers, or their horrid shooting - highlighted by a combined 1-for-17 effort by Van Exel and Sedale Threatt. ``It's best to give the other team credit,'' Harris said. ``The logical thing is to say the time off and suspensions (are the cause), but that's taking the easy way out. I think it was more Houston than that.'' The injury absence of Anthony Peeler - the Lakers' best fourth-quarter performer lately - didn't help either. But Johnson maintains that they could have helped themselves by working the offense through him out of the low post. ``I didn't know I wasn't going to be a focal point focal point n. See focus. of the offense,'' Johnson said. ``. . . I can only do what I'm asked to do.'' The Lakers will attempt to smooth out the latest bumps in their tumultuous season at today's practice. Besides mollifying Johnson, the coaching staff will try to offer encouragement to Van Exel, who after a 16-day layoff could hit only 1 of 11 shots to finish with five points and eight assists in 32 minutes. ``The Lakers are not going to fall apart,'' said Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. ``They'll come back.'' They don't have a choice. ``It's a tough situation,'' said Ceballos, who scored 20 of his team-high 22 points through three quarters. ``You always want to keep your homecourt advantage. Hopefully we can bounce back.'' FOURTH-QUARTER FLOP Leading 66-65 after three quarters, the Lakers managed just eight points in the first nine minutes of the fourth and lost to the Rockets. OTHER LOWLIGHTS: Nick Van Exel made 1 of 10 shots Vlade Divac and Elden Campbell combined were outscored by Hakeem Olajuwon 33-13. The Lakers turned the ball over 22 times. FIRST ROUND AT A GLANCE 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 106, Cleveland 83: John Starks makes six 3-pointers, Hubert Davis five for Knicks. Atlanta 92, Indiana 80: No Reggie Miller, no Pacers offense. Steve Smith scores 27 for the Hawks. Utah 110, Portland 102: John Stockton has 23 assists and the Jazz rally in fourth. TODAY'S GAMES Detroit at Orlando, 4 p.m., TBS: Shaq ready to attack in East. Phoenix at San Antonio, 5 p.m., TNT TNT: see trinitrotoluene. TNT in full trinitrotoluene Pale yellow, solid organic compound made by adding nitrate (−NO2) groups to toluene. : Another shot for the Admiral. Miami at Chicago, 6:30 p.m., TBS: Remarka-Bulls go for win No. 73 Sacramento at Seattle, 7:30 p.m., TNT: Sonics go without Kemp. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, 2 Boxes Photo: (1--VALLEY and FINAL--color) The Rockets ' Hakeem Olajuwon fends off Cedric Ceballos of the Lakers and gets off an outlet pass. (2--FINAL only) Nick Van Exel (9) and Kenny Smith battle for the ball in playoff opener at the Forum. Michael Owen Baker / Daily News Box: (1) FOURTH QURTER FLOP (see text) (2) FIRST ROUND AT A GLANCE (see text) |
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