REVENGE COMES LATE; LAKERS HANDLE JAZZ 5 MONTHS AFTER PLAYOFFS : LAKERS 104, UTAH 87.Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer No Shaq, no Stockton, so what? The Lakers and Utah Jazz met again Friday night, five months after their bitter tussle in the conference semifinals but faced off with altered lineups - the Lakers without star center 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). , the Jazz without star point guard John Stockton This article is about the professional basketball player. For the U.S. Senator from New Jersey, see John P. Stockton. John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career (1984–2003) as a . The rivalry born last spring, however, was alive and well, even without the two marquee names. The day began with O'Neal smacking smack·ing adj. Brisk; vigorous; spanking: a smacking breeze. Noun 1. smacking - the act of smacking something; a blow delivered with an open hand slap, smack Utah center Greg Ostertag Gregory Donovan Ostertag (born March 6 1973, in Dallas, Texas) is a retired American basketball player in the NBA, who spent most of his career with the Utah Jazz. He measures 7'2" (2.18 m) and played center. to the floor before an afternoon shootaround and ended with the Lakers smacking the Jazz 104-87 for a little revenge, albeit late revenge. But the night of redemption belonged primarily to the man who needed it most: 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 , who earned disdain with his sideline argument with coach Del Harris in the playoffs, practically won the game. The fiery point guard scored 22 points, the highlight of which was a 12-point second-quarter run - all on 3-pointers - that got the Lakers back in the game. They had trailed by as many as 16 before Van Exel and 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. sparked a game-turning 17-4 run that generated enough momentum to carry the Lakers through the rest of the evening, and then some. Unlike last spring, on this night Van Exel did all his talking on the court, with perfectly arching 3-point tosses that kept the Jazz in the hole. His fourth 3-pointer in the second quarter tied the game at 43-43. His fifth 3-pointer, to open the third, gave the Lakers a 46-45 lead. And when Malone tied it with a free throw, it was another Van Exel 3, his sixth without a miss, that made it 49-46 and put the Lakers ahead for good. Bryant, another Laker with bad memories of the playoffs - he ended the postseason with three airballs - made the night his showcase as well. Despite a cold start, he finished with 23 points, including 13 of 14 free throws, and five assists. Eddie Jones added 18. Robert Horry Robert Horry (born August 25, 1970 in Harford County, Maryland) is an American National Basketball Association basketball player. Currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Horry is is known for his ability to make clutch shots in big games. scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. When Utah ended the Lakers' season in May, big men Malone and Ostertag had their way in the frontcourt. But Friday, even without O'Neal and Elden Campbell Elden Jerome Campbell (born July 23, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is an American former professional basketball player who played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Campbell played college basketball at Clemson University. (neck spasms), the Lakers prevailed, thanks in part to effective perimeter shooting, including 12 of 29 3-point attempts made. Utah had ended the Lakers' season with a four-games-to-one victory in the conference semifinals in May, leaving the Lakers an entire offseason to ponder payback. While the Lakers generally kept such talk to a minimum this week, there was little question that playoff series was fresh in everyone's mind. 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. admitted as much earlier in the week, saying, ``It definitely gives you that extra incentive, that extra boost, that extra butterfly in your stomach. These are the guys that jumped you in the alley and beat you up last summer and sent you home crying. Any time you get your back against the wall, you come out fighting.'' A grudge match? ``We're human,'' Fisher said, ``and 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. if any of the guys will be able to forget last year's series.'' The Forum fans hadn't forgotten May either. A less-than-capacity crowd of 16,234 were relentless in their booing and varied verbal assaults on Utah, especially Malone and Ostertag, from beginning to end. The opening-night audience was about 1,000 shy of a sellout. The night began ominously like the playoffs ended - with the Lakers discombobulated dis·com·bob·u·late tr.v. dis·com·bob·u·lat·ed, dis·com·bob·u·lat·ing, dis·com·bob·u·lates To throw into a state of confusion. See Synonyms at confuse. . The Lakers spent the first quarter looking like they were still running drills at Palm Desert. Except that they operated better in training camp. Utah took a 28-16 lead through the first, with Malone pouring in nine points. The Lakers shot a ghastly 27.8 percent and Sean Rooks' six points qualified as the team's high. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--color) Kobe Bryant, playing superbly, dishes off during the first period as Greg Ostertag of the Jazz defends. (2) Robert Horry of the Lakers drops the ball in against the Jazz, which was beaten at the Forum. Tina Gerson / Daily News |
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