GAME WITHIN A GAME KINGS WANT VENGEANCE, BUT LAKERS WILL TAKE ANSWERS.Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer EL SEGUNDO El Segundo (ĕl sēgŭn`dō), industrial city (1990 pop. 15,223), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1917. Its products include navigation and computer systems, aircraft parts, office machines, telephone apparatus, and - If only all the Lakers had to worry about was The Chin Shot. And The Face Shove and The Ambush and the sheer, frightening chaos of a hallway melee. If only this evening's reunion with the Sacramento Kings could be framed by Rick Fox and Doug Christie's October Surprise
An October surprise is American political jargon describing a news event with the potential to influence the outcome of an election, , or even by the seven-game conference finals last spring, or by the three years of clenched-jaw playoff battles. If only any of that were relevant. Because, frankly, the Lakers would prefer to worry about the rivalry, about Western Conference supremacy and all the fun that accompanied the debate. They would love to be grinning about 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). calling them the Sacramento ``Queens'' and declaring 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. to be the capital of California. But the Lakers have so much more to worry about now. Reaching .500, for instance. Securing a playoff seeding. Winning more than, say, two consecutive games for the first time. The rivalry will take center stage for the national-television audience, but behind the curtain in concealment; in secret. See also: Curtain , the Lakers are just hoping not to trip over themselves when ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. flips on the lights. ``We're not playing well enough to really feel like we can go into this game with any (sense) that we know what we can do,'' coach Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. said. ``One night we play well and competitive, and the next night we 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. what we're doing out there half the time.'' Fox and Christie traded blows exactly two months ago today, and fans and network execs immediately began salivating over the Christmas Day rematch. The fight still resonates with the participants, but the game no longer holds as much meaning. The Kings are 22-8, on pace for 60 wins and an easy ride to the Pacific Division title. The Lakers, having stumbled to an 11-18 record, are 10 1/2 games back and just trying to find their way again. They're either primed for a revival - fueled by the raw emotions of playing the Kings - or primed to be gutted and flambeed. ``If I'm them,'' 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. said, ``I totally try to just cut off our heads. If I'm Chris Webber For the Canadian-born former BBL basketball player, see . Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III, better known as Chris Webber or C-Webb (born March 1, 1973, in Detroit, Michigan), is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA.. , that's what I'm telling the guys right now: `Let's just go in there and bury them.' I'm sure that's what they're coming with. ``I'm sure they've been over there laughing, saying, `The Lakers are dead,' '' Bryant said, pausing then continuing, ``but we're not.'' Yet they are, in Horry's words, ``horrible'' right now. It was Horry who labeled his team complacent in the wake of a 1-3 road trip that concluded Sunday. Their collective disinterest dis·in·ter·est n. 1. Freedom from selfish bias or self-interest; impartiality. 2. Lack of interest; indifference. tr.v. To divest of interest. Noun 1. should be wiped away by the mere sight of the Kings. ``If this doesn't spark us, there's something wrong,'' Horry said. ``We have a lot more at stake than they do, because we need as many wins as we can get right now.'' The Kings spent the summer groaning about conspiracy theories ''This is a list of conspiracy theories; it contains alleged conspiracies that are not accepted by mainstream academics. For a discussion of conspiracy theories in general, see conspiracy theory. and missed opportunities, Horry's ``luck shot'' in Game 4 and Dick Bavetta's machine-gun whistle in Game 6. ``Last season, we knew we were better than them,'' Webber said recently. The Lakers spent the offseason laughing at them, deriding Sacramento's victim mentality and scoffing at the Kings' claims of superiority after watching them choke down Verb 1. choke down - suppress; "He choked down his rage" choke back, choke off conquer, inhibit, stamp down, suppress, subdue, curb - to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's desires" the stretch of Game 7 at Arco Arena. When training camps opened in late September, the tongues still were flapping. Sacramento's Mike Bibby spoke boldly of a 70-win season. The Lakers amused themselves with quips about Vlade Divac's age and Webber's unwillingness to shoot in crunch time and Christie's admission he was ``scared to death'' in Game 7. Then O'Neal called them ``Queens.'' He's in no position to fling insults now, but he didn't mind recycling old ones. ``I meant it when I said it, and that's just that. I'll never take my statements back. Ever. Ever-ever-ever,'' he said. ``Ever-never-ever-never-ever-never-ever. ``And a `queen' is a favorable name,'' O'Neal said. ``But to be a king, you must beat a king or overthrow a king. And one game won't do that.'' Ever smug, even seven games below .500, the Lakers still exude ex·ude v. To ooze or pass gradually out of a body structure or tissue. the confidence of a team that has beaten the Kings in three consecutive playoff series. ``There's not a lot of hatred toward them,'' Fox said, ``because they've been very good to us the last three years.'' Jackson put his players through a longer-than-average practice Tuesday, then sat everyone down for a meeting in the locker room. Coaches talked, players talked and their mission was defined. It was nothing they would elaborate on, but ``It gave us a little added inspiration,'' Horry said. Certainly, the Kings were mentioned. The schedule ahead is lighter, with five off days built in next week, and the Lakers have reason for optimism given their improved play late last week. A victory over the Kings would give them a needed jolt forward. ``I'm not worried about my team not getting up for Sacramento,'' O'Neal said. ``We always get up for the big teams. We just need to learn how to get up for everybody.'' TODAY'S GAME LAKERS vs. SACRAMENTO When: Today, 5:30 p.m. TV/Radio: Ch. 7; 570-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish) CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) SHAQUILLE O'NEAL (2 -- color) MIKE BIBBY |
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