LAKERS FLAT IN O'NEAL'S FIRST START, BUT WIN; NO ONE HAPPY AFTER UGLY WIN : LAKERS VS. MILWAUKEE.Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer 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). is a starting center again for the Lakers See Lake poets , his sore tummy intact for now, but amid his celebrated return, one has to wonder about the mental health of the team he's returned to. O'Neal started his first game since Nov. 19 on Tuesday, the Lakers downed the Vancouver Grizzlies The name Grizzlies may refer to:
This time, it was the Grizzlies, losers of six straight. The Lakers made it seven in a row, but not before falling to an 11-point deficit in the first half and muddling through much of the second half. Lakers coach Del Harris hoped O'Neal's return to the starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes would provide the Lakers with a shot of adrenaline. O'Neal did provide 25 points and 14 rebounds, but a panacea Some antidote or remedy that completely solves a problem. Most so-called panaceas in this industry, if they survive at all, wind up sitting alongside and working with the products they were supposed to replace. for the Lakers' ailing intensity he isn't. ``In the first half we didn't play like we really wanted to win,'' said 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 . ``We just gotta find ways to get enthused at the start of games. It's the same old problem.'' Down 47-38 at halftime, the Lakers looked like an inspired team in the early third quarter, taking back the lead with a furious 21-4 run in the first five minutes. Then the malaise returned, and they cruised to another lackluster win. The Lakers' third-quarter run was reminiscent of the good old days, in November, when they were blowing out teams like Vancouver (121-95). Perhaps they had turned the corner on the recent slump? ``Not even close,'' Van Exel said. ``Not even close.'' Their woes were still evident in a .427 shooting percentage and a 51-48 rebounding deficit that included giving up 11 boards to . . . Pete Chilcutt Peter Shawn Chilcutt (born September 14 1968, in Sumter, South Carolina) is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following a collegiate basketball career at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he was selected as a ? Ack. ``We're not a pretty team right now,'' said Rick Fox. ``But (not) pretty doesn't always mean you can't be a good team.'' There was little to fault in their second half, where the Lakers outscored the Grizzlies 62-40 and shot 59.5 percent from the field. But the first half was possibly their worst in recent memory - a season-low 38 points after two quarters, on 28.9 percent shooting. ``Because we were taking the first shot we could get,'' Harris said disapprovingly dis·ap·prove v. dis·ap·proved, dis·ap·prov·ing, dis·ap·proves v.tr. 1. To have an unfavorable opinion of; condemn. 2. To refuse to approve; reject. v.intr. . Well, at least they're sinking the free throws. After making a sickly 60 percent from the foul line foul line n. 1. Baseball Either of two straight lines extending from the rear of home plate to the outer edge of the playing field and indicating the area in which a fair ball can be hit. 2. over the last five games, the Lakers shot 77.4 percent Tuesday, hitting 24 of 31. Instead it was Vancouver with the free-throw collapse - 11 of 24 (45.8 percent). The struggling Grizzlies (10-24) were also without guard Antonio Daniels Antonio Ray Daniels (born March 19 1975 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Washington Wizards of the NBA. After playing college basketball at Bowling Green State University, he was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies (now Memphis , who was ill, but they got an inspired performance from Bryant ``Big Country'' Reeves, who matched O'Neal with 24 points and 11 rebounds. The difference was a better surrounding cast, as the Lakers got 22 points from Eddie Jones and 16 each 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. and Fox. By all accounts, things should only get better now that O'Neal is starting again. He turned in 36 minutes Tuesday and posted his second double-double in his third game back. O'Neal says he feels fine, though Harris believes he is only about 85 percent - ``at most'' - of his usual self. ``But, you know, 85 percent of Shaquille is still about 285 percent,'' Harris joked. ``He's still pretty good.'' O'Neal's just happy to be back where he belongs after a six-week layoff with an abdominal strain and two games of playing off the bench. ``I'm just glad to be back with the guys,'' he said. If O'Neal is still a bit off-sync - he shot 9 of 20 from the field - he isn't worried. ``A couple more games, I should be OK,'' he said. ``I'm still good enough to get 25 (points) and 10 (rebounds) every night.'' And for that, the Lakers are grateful, even if O'Neal's return isn't the cure-all they might have hoped for. The big man is back, and, said Jones, ``It definitely feels good.'' Tipoff: 7:30 p.m., the Forum TV/Radio: Fox Sports West; KLAC-AM (570) Lakers (25-8) update: Tonight's game begins a nearly two-week stretch at home for the Lakers. They play five games at the Forum between now and Jan. 19, with just one ``away'' game in the stretch - Friday at the Sports Arena to play the Clippers. After that, Charlotte, Denver, Miami and Orlando come to town. Bucks (15-17) update: Milwaukee provides the Lakers yet another test of their ability to get motivated against a mediocre team, a skill the Lakers have lacked all season. The Bucks are 5-10 on the road and have not beaten the Lakers since Nov. 5, 1994. Milwaukee ranks in the bottom third of the league in rebounding, assists, turnovers and blocked shots. - Howard Beck CAPTION(S): Photo, 3 Boxes Photo: (Color) Shaquille O'Neal jams against Vancouver's Otis Thorpe Otis Henry Thorpe (born August 5 1962 in Boynton Beach, Florida) is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA. A graduate of Lake Worth Community High School, Thorpe was drafted by the Kansas City Kings as the ninth overall pick in the first round of the in Tuesday's 100-87 Lakers' victory. Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Box: (1) MIDWEST MASTERY (2) LAKERS vs. MILWAUKEE (See Text) (3) GAME RECAP |
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