Wednesday, May 29, 2002
Lakers on the brink of elimination
The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO — For the first time in two years, the Los Angeles Lakers are in real trouble.
And while they put up a brave front following Tuesday night's thrilling 92-91 loss to the Sacramento Kings in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, the look on their faces as they left the Arco Arena floor said it all.
They know they've got a difficult task ahead if they're to three-peat.
“I ain't got much to say, we've just got to win two more, that's it,” Lakers guard Lindsey Hunter said in a hushed locker room.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series will be played Friday night at Staples Center, with the Lakers needing a victory along with a win Sunday in a seventh game at Arco to reach the NBA Finals.
One loss and they're finished until next fall.
The two-time defending champions haven't faced elimination from the playoffs in one game since the 2000 Western Conference finals, when Portland took them to a seventh game.
The Trail Blazers held a 75-60 lead with 10 1/2 minutes remaining in the decider, but the Lakers rallied to win 89-84 before beating Indiana in six games for their first championship in 12 years.
They went 15-1 in the postseason last year for the second straight title, but have appeared vulnerable throughout these playoffs.
“We're one game from being eliminated. We've been there before,” Robert Horry said. “We still have our confidence. We'll be all right.”
Horry, whose 3-pointer as time expired in Game 4 gave the Lakers a 100-99 victory and evened the series, was a non-factor in this game with four points and 11 rebounds in 44 minutes.
He missed his only shot in the fourth quarter — a 3-point attempt — and didn't touch the ball during the game's final possession.
Shaquille O'Neal was limited to 32 minutes because of foul trouble, and was called for his sixth foul with 3:22 remaining as Sacramento's Mike Bibby drove the lane.
Bibby made a free throw to tie it at 85, and hit the game-winner with 8.2 seconds left from 20 feet away.
“I got a couple silly fouls called and fouled out of the game,” O'Neal said.
When asked if they were legitimate calls, the Lakers' big man smiled and replied: “You tell me? What I think doesn't count. You tell me?”
Horry was more direct.
“It really hurts when you get some questionable foul calls down the stretch,” he said. “Unfortunately, we just didn't get the breaks.”
O'Neal shot 14-of-18 in scoring 28 points — all in the first and third quarters. Usually in double figures in free-throw attempts, he missed his only try from the foul line, and had just seven rebounds.
“You tell me Vlade Divac can guard him four quarters with only three fouls,” Lakers reserve Samaki Walker said. “You can't guard Shaq for 40 minutes (actually 37) and not be in foul trouble. That's impossible.
“We lost, Shaq fouled out, we're on the verge of being eliminated. We know what we've got to do.”
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he thought Sacramento's Bobby Jackson fouled Kobe Bryant on the game's final shot — a 20-footer from the right corner with time running out that could have provided Los Angeles another last-second victory.
The shot wasn't close.
“I just tried to shoot over him, the shot went long,” Bryant said.
When asked if he was fouled, Bryant replied: “You guys saw the replay. There's no need for me to comment on that. It's irrelevant right now. We'll just take the one-point defeat and go home. You've just got to play through it. Sometimes you get calls, sometimes you don't.
“We look at this as an opportunity. We'd much rather be up 3-2, but we're not. I think we're looking forward to the challenge.”
Phil Jackson also said Bryant told him before Bibby's winning shot he was not comfortable defending the Kings' star on the final play, that Derek Fisher was doing a good job.
“You know I wouldn't say those exact words, that's ridiculous,” Bryant said later.
It was Bryant who shut Bibby down in the second half of Game 4, but Bryant picked up two fouls in the first quarter, had four early in the third and finished with five.
He hardly guarded Bibby at all.
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Lakers on the brink of elimination 
