THE END IS NEAR NEW JERSEY'S BEST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH AS LAKERS TAKE 3-0 SERIES LEAD 2002 NBA FINALS: LAKERS 106, NEW JERSEY 103.Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The emotion did not seep out when 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). hit the nifty bank shot, or when 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. somehow muscled through for the floating nine-footer. Not even when Rick Fox's final free throws passed through the net did the Lakers bounce, or clap, or chest bump. Nothing in their body language screamed three-peat. Even if everything else did. Standing on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of history, primed to do what no Lakers team has ever accomplished, they were merely placid, confident. But not yet giddy. There will be time for giddy soon enough. The New Jersey Nets brought their best effort of the NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association. The team winning the Eastern Conference Finals earns one of the two berths in the championship round, with the other going to the team that wins the Western Conference Finals. on Sunday, and the Lakers snuffed it out. With stunning nonchalance, they wiped out a late seven-point deficit and probably wiped out the Nets' spirit with it, taking a 106-103 victory at Continental Airlines Arena, and a 3-0 lead in the series. A three-peat - the first in Laker history, and just the fourth ever - is all but certain. The only question now is whether they will sweep. No team has ever won a series after trailing 3-0. The Nets' task is even more impossible: No team has beaten the Lakers four times in a row since 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. became coach. ``I don't think,'' said Bryant, ``there's a team that can do that.'' As ever, the board in the locker room spelled it out: ``Uno mas,'' Jackson wrote. That chance comes Wednesday night at Continental Airlines Arena. The Lakers will not betray their feelings at this moment, but Fox all but proclaimed a three-peat would be in hand in two days. ``We play our best game in a situation such as Wednesday night, where we have an opportunity to move on,'' Fox said. ``It's not very far to go after this game, other than to the podium to accept the trophy. But that's what this whole season has been about.'' A sweep would be just the seventh in Finals history. Not even the Nets sound confident they can avoid it. ``Obviously,'' coach Byron Scott Byron Scott may refer to:
As the Lakers set a record with their seventh consecutive Finals victory,they reminded everyone how they got here, and why they are suddenly poised to claim the dynasty label they have sought for three years. To get to 3-0 required all the poise the Lakers showed in their conference finals struggle against the Sacramento Kings, every last ounce of stardom they could squeeze from O'Neal (35 points) and Bryant (36 points). And several clutch contributions from an overlooked surrounding cast. They faced their first fourth-quarter deficit of the series, 90-83 with 8:43 to go. Devean George Devean Jamar George (born August 29 1977 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He typically plays small forward but because of his athleticism and defensive activity, can defend many shooting guards as well. , the least-established member of the rotation, then scored his only six points of the game in a four-minute span, pulling the Lakers within a point. 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. , whose clutch 3-pointers have defined this playoff run, gave the Lakers their final push. His 3-pointer from the top of the arc lifted the Lakers to a 98-96 lead with 3:04 to play. They didn't trail again. It had been a strange night for Horry, saddled by foul trouble, and slapped with a technical foul technical foul n. Sports A foul, especially in basketball, that is called on a player, coach, or team for unsportsmanlike conduct or infringement of a rule and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent during play. for, of all things, skipping downcourt down·court adv. & adj. Sports To, into, or in the far end of the court, especially in basketball. . ``I guess,'' Horry said, ``that can overcome all the bad things I did.'' The Nets, pushed to their best by Jason Kidd's 30-point, 10-assist effort, desperate to make the most of their first Finals appearance, gave one last push. A 21-footer by Kidd. A 21-footer by Keith Van Horn For the American football player, see . Keith Adam Van Horn (born October 23 1975, in Fullerton, California) is an American basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks. Van Horn graduated from Diamond Bar High School and played for the University of Utah. , and it was a two-point game with 34.1 seconds to play. Then Bryant pulled out his latest fourth-quarter miracle. Guarded by Kidd, stripped by Kerry Kittles Kerry Kittles (born June 12 1974 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association in 2004-05. He was raised in New Orleans and attended St. Augustine High School. , Bryant somehow regathered the ball, then spun around and hoisted a floating 9-footer that swished through with 19.1 seconds left. He walked back to the bench pointing toward his biceps - too strong to be denied. Kidd hit a 3-pointer, Fox hit two free throws for the final margin and Kidd missed badly on a 23-foot heave at the buzzer. The Nets, who had erased deficits of 14 points and 10 points in the game, earned a nod from the Lakers. ``They're a great team, they're a pesky team,'' O'Neal said. ``I think they played hard. I think they gave us their best shot.'' For all practical purposes, it will stand as their last shot. ``We didn't panic, kept it cool,'' Jackson said. That would be the Lakers' trademark this spring, and the reason this series is probably just 48 hours from its conclusion. ``Just one more,'' Horry said. ``That's all we're going to focus on now. We're one game away from being the champions again, so we just have to stay humble and stay hungry. ... All we need is one more. It doesn't matter how we get it or when we get it.'' STAT OF THE GAME: Largest lead by each team LAKERS 50, NETS 25 CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: no caption (June 10, 2002, Sports section Noun 1. sports section - the section of a newspaper that reports on sports sports page - any page in the sports section of a newspaper newspaper, paper - a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements; "he read ) Box: (1) GAME RECAP (2) STAT OF THE GAME: Largest lead by each team (see text) |
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