The quarterfinals
The Times has asked an online sports simulation site to run atournament involving the 12 greatest Lakers title teams of alltime, as selected by The Times.
The simulations were done by Imagine Sports, a SiliconValley-based Internet company developing multiplayer online sportssimulation games, including Total Hoops, an online basketball gamewhere users are the general managers of their own pro basketballfranchises and can draft or sign players from throughout thehistory of basketball, and Diamond Mind Online, an online baseballmanagement game licensed and promoted by MLB Advanced Media.
And now, the quarterfinals. Each series is best-of-seven, with thebetter seeded team receiving home court advantage:
Top-seeded 1971-72 Lakers vs. ninth-seeded 2001-02Lakers
The matchup: Will Wilt and West be rusty after getting afirst-round bye. How will Wilt and Shaq matchup? And who guardsKobe?
The results
Game 1: at 1971-72 Lakers 121, 2001-02 Lakers 77. High scorer: GailGoodrich, 29
Game 2: at 1971-72 Lakers 113, 2001-02 Lakers 90. High scorer: KobeBryant, 29
Game 3: 1971-72 Lakers 104, at 2001-02 Lakers 103. High scorer:Jerry West, 27
Game 4: 1971-72 Lakers 115, at 2001-02 Lakers 81. High scorer: GailGoodrich, 44
1971-72 Lakers win series, 4-0.
The recap: Domination. The Wilt-West Lakers manhandled theShaq-Kobe Lakers, winning three of the games by at least 20 points.Game 3 was won on a 20-foot jumper by Jerry West at the buzzer. Asfor the Shaq-Wilt matchup: Chamberlain averaged 15 points and 19rebounds a game, O’Neal averaged 20 points and nine rebounds.
Series co-MVPs: West (23.5 points, 10 assists per game) andGoodrich (30 points per game)
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Second-seeded 1986-87 Lakers vs. 10th-seeded 1951-52 MinneapolisLakers
The matchup: Can George Mikan and his teammates continue his Cinderella run through the tourney? Or will Showtime be too muchfor them?
The results
Game 1: at 1986-87 Lakers 117, 1951-52 Lakers 101. High scorer:Mikan, 31
Game 2: at 1986-87 Lakers 93, 1951-52 Lakers 90. High scorer:Mikan, 28
Game 3: 1986-87 Lakers 111, at 1951-52 Lakers 101. High scorer:Mikan, 39
Game 4: 1986-87 Lakers 105, at 1951-52 Lakers 98. High scorer:Mikan, James Worthy, 25
1986-87 Lakers win series, 4-0.
The recap: The Cinderella run ends, as the 86-87 Lakers havetoo much depth for the squad from Minnesota. Magic Johnson averages14 assists a game as the Lakers use a balanced attack for thesweep.
Series MVP: Mikan (28.8 points, 12.5 rebounds per game).
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Third-seeded 1999-2000 Lakers vs. sixth-seeded 1979-80Lakers
The matchup: Another Showtime vs. Shaq-Kobe matchup. CanPaul Westhead out-coach Phil Jackson?
The results
Game 1: at 1999-2000 Lakers 106, 1979-80 Lakers 78. High scorer:Shaquille O’Neal, 33
Game 2: at 1999-2000 Lakers 118, 1979-80 Lakers 110. High scorer:O’Neal, 37
Game 3: 1999-2000 Lakers 117, at 1979-80 Lakers 109. High scorer:Kobe Bryant, 35
Game 4: at 1979-80 Lakers 127, 1999-2000 Lakers 115. High scorer:Bryant, 39
Game 5: 1999-2000 Lakers 100, at 1979-80 Lakers 84. High scorer:O’Neal, 30
1999-2000 Lakers win series, 4-1.
The recap: A pretty easy win for the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.
Series MVP: O’Neal (30.6 points, 17.4 rebounds pergame).
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Fourth-seeded 1984-85 Lakers vs. fifth-seeded 2000-01Lakers
The matchup: Who will get two teams into the Finals, theShowtime Lakers or the Shaq-Kobe Lakers?
The results
Game 1: 2000-01 Lakers 109, at 1984-85 Lakers 107. High scorer:Kobe Bryant, 31
Game 2: 2000-01 Lakers 112, at 1984-85 Lakers 96. High scorer:Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, 33
Game 3: at 2000-01 Lakers 105, 1984-85 Lakers 95. High scorer:Bryant, 37
Game 4: 1984-85 Lakers 117, at 2000-01 Lakers 110. High scorer:O’Neal, 39
Game 5: at 2000-01 Lakers 95, 1984-85 Lakers 88. High scorer:Bryant, 35
2000-01 Lakers win series, 4-1.
The recap: So, two of three Shaq-Kobe Lakers teams make thesemifinals, compared to only one of five Showtime-Lakers teams. Butare any of them good enough to topple the 1971-72 Wilt-WestLakers?
Series MVP: Bryant (34 points per game, 47.1% shooting fromthe field).
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Up next: The semifinals will be posted on Sunday. The matchupsare:
1971-72 Lakers vs. 2000-01 Lakers
1986-87 Lakers vs. 1999-2000 Lakers
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