STRATEGIZING, FROM ONE JACKSON TO ANOTHER EX-SUNS GUARD JIM JACKSON GOES OVER PHOENIX'S TENDENCIES WITH LAKERS' COACH.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - The Phoenix Suns might score 140 points some nights, connect on 203-pointers others and threaten to short-circuit the scoreboard every time they take the court. But Jim Jackson thinks most people have it wrong in watching the Suns play.

"They think it's just run-and-gun," Jackson said. "But it's kind of methodical what they do. It may look fast, but they don't run it quick. They pick you apart slowly. Steve (Nash) is a maestro, so that's why it looks easy."

Jackson should know after spending parts of the past two seasons playing for coach Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix. The veteran guard was released by the Suns on March 1 and signed with the Lakers five days later.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson and assistant Kurt Rambis talked to Jackson before drawing up their gameplan for this first-round playoff series against the Suns. The teams will play Game 2 of the best-of-seven series tonight in Phoenix.

Jackson's advice was simple: Play physical, get the ball inside, take away easy baskets and force Nash to be a shooter rather than playmaker.

The Lakers enjoyed some success in Game 1 against the Suns, bouncing back from a 39-point first quarter to give up just 36 points - and no 3- pointers - in the second and third quarters.

"We got them playing at our pace," Phil Jackson said. "They ran pretty well early. They were attacking hard and they had a pretty good pace going on. I thought that we kind of controlled the rhythm of the game after that."

The Lakers spent the two days between games talking about some of the little things they can do differently on defense. For starters, they plan on switching less on the Suns' pick-and-roll plays that can create mismatches for Nash.

They also are prepared for Phoenix to push the ball at every opportunity tonight. With the Lakers slowing the game and establishing their post players inside, the Suns offense stalled out in the middle quarters of Game 1.

"We've got to be more conscious on getting back on defense and knowing where the shooters are," Kobe Bryant said. "We know that there's another gear that they can go to. They have experience and they obviously have very talented players. We just have to be ready to meet that intensity."

It has been a strange turn, meanwhile, for Jim Jackson, who said he remains close with everybody on the Suns. He went from not playing in Phoenix in January and February to facing his former team in the playoffs.

"It's a weird series," he said, "but it's a fun series because I think it's a great experience for our young guys to see what it's like to play against one of the better teams in the league in the first round."

Also: Phil Jackson finished seventh in Coach of the Year voting, with one first-place vote. Dallas' Avery Johnson won, with Phoenix's D'Antoni second and Detroit's Flip Saunders third. "I've always felt that that should be given to the guy who's team wins the championship," Jackson said, "That's what it's all about."

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers hope to devise a defense that can slow down Tim Thomas, left, and the Phoenix Suns' potent offense in Game 2 tonight in Phoenix.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box:

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND, BEST-OF-7 PHOENIX LEADS, 1-0