[0] SUNS INSIDE LOOK: PHOENIX 1ST-HALF PHIASCO.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Staff Writer

They can only wonder what if. . . .

What if Jason Kidd hadn't suffered an ankle injury, preventing him from playing at full strength?

What if Tom Gugliotta hadn't torn his ACL and needed surgery?

What if Phoenix came to play in the first half of Tuesday's playoff game?

``What if? It'd be 3-1 (Phoenix) what if,'' Kidd said before the game.

Instead, the Suns set franchise lows with nine second-period points and 23 first-half points, and the Lakers easily eliminated the Suns in five games. It was also an NBA-record first-half low.

Kidd was named to the NBA's All-Defensive team. Kidd called Gugliotta, with an average of nearly eight rebounds a game, Phoenix's best rebounder, best post player, a good perimeter shooter and ``that's six more fouls we'd have. Gugs is missed tremendously.''

Of course, as the Suns know, they had to play with the personnel they had (San Antonio had to make do without Tim Duncan, and the Suns took advantage). The key at Staples Center was to duplicate Sunday's Game 4 success (a 117-98 victory) in Phoenix.

``It's a simple game,'' Rodney Rogers said. ``We make it tough.''

And to make it tough on the Lakers, the Suns had to duplicate Sunday's first period: Come out and establish a high energy level and stay competitive.

``They'll come out hard, and whatever team makes their impression felt at the end of the first quarter will be in control,'' Kidd said before the game.

``We play the first to get to the second,'' Rogers said, ``then we play the second to get to the second half.''

Except this wasn't Sunday. It was more like Game 1.

Sure, the Suns had their moments. Luc Longley got two quick rebounds and a quick field goal to keep Phoenix close, 6-4. Kidd made a steal off a triple-team of Shaquille O'Neal, and the Suns withstood an 8-0 run with five straight points to trail 14-11. The final three points came off a Clifford Robinson 3-pointer, which followed two offensive rebounds.

Defensively, Phoenix did nothing flashy but held the Lakers to 33 percent from the field.

But . . .

Longley also picked up two fouls inside of six minutes and went to the bench. Robinson, who scored a playoff-career-high 32 points in Game 4, picked up his second foul in the period's final minute. O'Neal dominated inside.

Then there was the outlet pass to Rodney Rogers or Anfernee Hardaway that neither one took. The ball went out of bounds.

Phoenix shot 30 percent from the field and trailed 21-14.

It got worse in the second period. L.A. started with a 12-2 run and Robinson got his third foul less than three minutes in, Longley soon added his third foul, and L.A. kept the lead to at least 14 points and led 49-23 at halftime.

Phoenix scored six points in the first 10 minutes of the period.

Before the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson expressed concern about if his team being able to withstand the energy level he expected from the Suns.

It turned out he need not have worried.