LAKERS NOTEBOOK: LAKERS CONTINUE TO MEET THEIR CHALLENGES.Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer 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 - Before tipoff Sunday, Lakers 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. was musing about just aiming for a split of a tough two-game set against the New York Knicks and Miami Heat The Miami Heat (known as the HEAT [in all capital letters] on official team publications) are a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). . And after taking down the Knicks? ``Well, you get one, you might as well get two. It would be nice,'' Jackson said. For the Lakers, it would also be a simple matter of continuing a couple of remarkable trends: They also are 24-3 against the Eastern Conference, 12-2 on the road. Even more impressive, the Lakers are 18-1 this season on the second night of back-to-back sets, with 12 victories in a row on the second night. ``Hopefully it's not a jinx jinx n. 1. A person or thing that is believed to bring bad luck. 2. A condition or period of bad luck that appears to have been caused by a specific person or thing. tr.v. ,'' 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. ``But I think for our basketball team, the more we have to think about, whether we're tired or whether we're fatigued physically, I think it sharpens us up mentally. We don't take as many chances, we're a little smarter. ``Like in Friday's game against Detroit, we played better than we did against Washington, even though it was a loss, because I think mentally we think about - OK, we got in late, this is the second night of a back-to-back, so Kobe (Bryant)'s not jumping as high, Shaq (O'Neal)'s not jumping as high, but we have to think a little more and be a little smarter. And we end up playing better.'' This could be the toughest back-to-back of the season. ``The challenges keep coming,'' Fisher said, ``and we've accepted them and taken them head-on so far. Hopefully we can do that again (tonight).'' And as for that two-game split Jackson mentioned? ``Phil's always underestimating us,'' Bryant said. ``He always does that. Every time he does that, we prove him wrong, he just laughs.'' --Defensive: After two games of struggling through foul trouble, Bryant was able to hold down Latrell Sprewell Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born September 8 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2004-05 NBA season. and pick up only two fouls in the process. Bryant says Seattle's Gary Payton
``There might be some truth,'' said Jackson, ``that there's a level of acceptance, what's tolerated or not tolerated of how people play individual defense. Kobe's yet to reach that area where he gets the liberty. But he's learning, and the big thing is he's learning not to have that `you-screwed-up' kind of (expression) on his face, which gets the referees back in an irritated ir·ri·tate v. ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing, ir·ri·tates v.tr. 1. To rouse to impatience or anger; annoy: a loud bossy voice that irritates listeners. point. He's able to accept it and move on and understand it. I think that's growth for him.'' LAKERS vs. HEAT Tipoff: 5 p.m., American Airlines American Airlines Major U.S. airline. American was created through a merger of several smaller U.S. airlines and incorporated in 1934. It continued to buy the routes of other airlines, becoming an international carrier in the 1970s; its routes include South America, the Arena TV/Radio: Channel 9, TBS; KLAC-AM (570) Lakers (55-12) update: Their last extended road trip of the season, and last in the East, concludes tonight. Eight of their final 14 games are at home. The Lakers have a chance to sweep the Heat, who they beat 93-80 in L.A. on March 5. Heat (42-23) update: Miami has won five in a row, including an impressive victory at Indiana. The Heat has won 13 in a row at the new American Airlines Arena, dating back to Jan. 18. - Howard Beck CAPTION(S): box Box: Lakers vs. Heat (see text) |
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