True or Not, They’re Fighting Words

The Lakers heard what the Portland Trail Blazers said. Even though the Trail Blazers say they didn’t say it.

“I haven’t heard one person say that we preferred to play the Lakers,” Portland’s Clifford Robinson said. “Hopefully, the weather will be nice down there. But we know that’s a tough team.”

Too late for the denial. The Lakers already have additional motivation, as if a trip to the second round isn’t enough. It came from their perception that the Trail Blazers wanted them in the best-of-five series, though actually, some Portland players merely said they matched up well with Los Angeles.

“That’s what we heard,” Laker Byron Scott said. “A lot of time, you get what you ask for. They asked for us, and now they’ve got us.”

And the Lakers have some more fuel.

“That inspires you,” Scott said.

Apparently whether the Trail Blazers said it or not.

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An Eastern Conference team bound for the playoffs--not the Miami Heat--called Magic Johnson a couple of weeks ago to see if he would be interested in coming out of retirement for the stretch run. He declined, without hesitation.

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The Lakers will move training camp from Honolulu to Palm Desert, the former home, next season. Their mini-camp at College of the Desert will end today, not Thursday as originally planned, so they can practice at the Forum on Thursday night before opening the playoffs there Friday. . . . The two-month absence because of injury cost Shaquille O’Neal the chance to finish in the top 10 in four statistical categories. He ranked third in blocks and fourth in shooting, but failed to meet minimum qualifying standards in scoring and rebounding after missing 31 games in all. Still, O’Neal was the only player in the league to average at least 25 points and 10 rebounds.