THAT SWEEPING FEELING LAKERS KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE DOWN 3-0.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

PHOENIX - For a hauntingly familiar expression of playoff angst, we turn to the locker room of the team down 0-3 in this NBA conference semifinal series.

See the dour faces. Examine the perplexed expressions. Hear the desperate tones, mixed with faint and fading notes of hope. Listen as the conversation turns quickly toward what went wrong, how to fix it and what next season might bring.

This was the Phoenix Suns' locker room at America West Arena, but it provided a chilling reflection of where the Lakers were not so long ago.

A year ago, down 0-3 to the San Antonio Spurs. Two years ago, down 0-3 to the Utah Jazz.

Each time, a game later, swept out of contention and into the offseason abyss.

The Suns now face that depressing conclusion. The Lakers can look across the court today, and, as they try to both compound and end that misery, they will get a measure of just how far they have come in a year.

From tormented to tormentors.

``I'd like to think and hope that it's a marked improvement in a landslide capacity,'' said Rick Fox, a participant in the Lakers collapses of 1998 and 1999. ``We'd like to turn the tables and be the individuals for a change that are on top of the activity in a series, and find themselves with more of the command than fighting from behind.''

With a win this afternoon at America West, the Lakers will be on the winning end of a four-game sweep for the first time since 1989 - when they swept Portland, Seattle and Phoenix in succession on the way to the Finals.

But the Lakers of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant know only misery when it comes to sweeps. They entered this postseason with visions of blowing through the field but, after a 2-0 start against the Sacramento Kings, failed to get their first sweep then got pushed to five games.

``We didn't get it done last series,'' Bryant said, ``so it'd definitely be nice to sweep.''

If the Suns react to the 0-3 deficit the way the Lakers have in the past, the series should be over by late this afternoon.

Two years ago, the Lakers dominated the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics before running into the Jazz. They were blown out at Salt Lake City in the opener but regrouped in Game 2 and lost by only four points. Then they got thumped by 11 points in Game 3 at the Forum and succumbed in Game 4, 96-92.

Last year, the Lakers lost a pair of competitive games at the Alamodome to again return home down 0-2. But they again got thumped in Game 3, a 103-91 Spurs win and rolled over in Game 4, 118-107.

The Lakers are a living testament to the fragile psychology of a team down three games to none - a deficit no NBA team has ever come back from to win a series. The Game 4 losses were almost predetermined.

``If you watch any TV or if you read any newspapers, the facts start to come to light, that no team has ever done it,'' Fox said, ``so it's a huge mountain to overcome. When you're dealing with one individual, in an individual sport, that might be something that a person can conquer. But when you're talking about 12 guys that have to come together to all believe it can be done, I think in that case it's harder. A lot harder. . . .

``You need everyone to believe that, and, unfortunately in team sports, faced with this situation that they are, it's more the norm to fold the tents than it is to find the way back.''

It's an emotionally grueling state to be in, one Bryant prefers not to recall.

``To tell you the truth, I don't even remember,'' he said, asked how deflating it was to be down 0-3. ``It has to be, getting swept. But I really don't remember.''

Now that the Lakers have reversed their fortunes, they sound unconcerned with the significance of going 4-0.

``A win is a win,'' said O'Neal, who is averaging a team-leading 37.3 points in this series. ``You know, we made a lot of progress, coach (Phil) Jackson has done a good job of keeping us together, keeping us out of trouble and keeping us very focused. We're looking to close it down tomorrow.''

Putting away the Suns could prove difficult, if the last two games are any indication. Game 2 went down to the last three seconds, and Game 3 went down to the last minute.

``They recognize the fact that they played well enough last night (Friday) to win,'' Jackson said. ``We're going to have to play through a long period of the game and make them think about how long and hard this series is going to be and give them some doubts and make them have some doubts, so they question the ability to come back and win this series. . . .

``They'll come out with guns blazing, free, nothing to lose, everything to gain, upset in mind, to show their dander or their courage, and then as the game gets more and more difficult, doubt starts to form in teams' minds. But I think closeout games are very difficult games. You've got to be able to hang around and then find usually a way to win at the end.''

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: (color) Kobe Bryant and the Lakers hope to keep the Phoenix Suns handcuffed in today's Game 4.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box: Game 4