Lakers Get a Depth Charge

There was a thin, beige pad on the right wrist. A couple of wires attached to the pad. The wires ran to a box on the floor.

This was part of Byron Scott’s medical treatment Friday afternoon, electrical stimulation designed to speed the healing of his sprain, an injury sustained in the third quarter Thursday and a diagnosis confirmed after X-rays and MRI exams ruled out a broken bone. Or so the Lakers would have us believe.

The smart money says the gizmo’s a prop. Scott is shooting 52.6% and averaging 11.3 points, third best on the team, in the Western Conference semifinals that continue today at the Forum with the Utah Jazz holding a 2-1 lead. He doesn’t need a charge. He has been giving them.

The Lakers, relieved that the test results showed nothing more serious, are listing Scott as questionable for Game 4, although he and Coach Del Harris expect the backup shooting guard to play. If not, adjustments will be made. Simple as that, as if this team is well drilled at dealing with the adversity of injury.

It is, of course. More than being qualified to run a triage team out of the locker room, the Lakers may now be succeeding not in spite of their numerous medical problems during the second half of the regular season, but because of them.

“I think we all said a long time back, when we had all the injuries, that we felt we could turn the negative into a positive,” Harris said.

“We all as a group said that could happen. And that did happen.”

So, Travis Knight got the chance to develop at an accelerated rate and has become a trusted big man off the bench.

And Kobe Bryant is the backup point guard again, a role once revoked.

Sean Rooks plays with so much more confidence than in the first half of the season that any absolute measurement would be impossible because it would run off the page.

Jerome Kersey is second on the team in rebounding during the playoffs--averaging 5.9 in only 23 minutes of the seven games--and shooting 51.9%.

Scott has likewise contributed from the outside. At least mostly from the outside; the injury with 17.7 seconds left in the third quarter of Game 3 came as he tried to brace his fall after a driving layup ended up in a collision with Utah’s Bryon Russell.

The Laker depth has been a critical element in their playoff success. Thursday, their leading scorer in the 104-84 victory over the Jazz was a reserve, Bryant, who had 19 points in 19 minutes, and Rooks added eight points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes. Two nights before that, Scott had 24 points off the bench.

Or was it only a coincidence that the worst showing from the reserves--being dominated by their Utah counterparts, 33-9, in Game 1--was also the worst showing for the Lakers?

“Everyone knew we had a lot of depth,” Bryant said. “That has not been a question, ever. We used a lot of different players during the regular season, and I think the key was to keep doing that. Keep going with the flow.”

Would the Lakers, unable to ride the shoulders of Shaquille O’Neal since he’s shooting 40% and averaging 17.7 points and only 30.7 minutes in the series, have been this competitive for this long without the subs?

“I don’t think so,” Kersey said. “It comes with getting playing time out there and knowing what we can do.”

The Lakers’ attention will be especially drawn to this area early today, before the 12:30 tipoff, because of Scott’s situation. Friday, after sitting out the light workout at the Forum, he said the wrist was still sore, but that the pain had lessened. Similar problems with his hip, also from the fall, have disappeared.

The Jazz, meanwhile, has its own medical concern. Starting center Greg Ostertag, sidelined with 4:30 to play in the third quarter of Game 3 because of a sprained left knee, still had soreness Friday.

“I just have to keep doing things to it and see how it feels before the game,” he said.

Initial indications are encouraging, because Ostertag said he probably could have played Friday. But if he can’t play, the Jazz would probably start Greg Foster, allowing Antoine Carr to maintain his role as a spark off the bench.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TODAY’S GAME

LAKERS vs. JAZZ

Jazz leads series, 2-1

* Time: 12:30 p.m.

* TV: Channel 4.

* Radio: KLAC (570)

* LAKER NOTES: C8

* SERIES IN REVIEW: C8

* Miami 88, New York 84

Tim Hardaway made most of the big shots, including a five-footer in the lane in the final minute as the Heat evened the series. C8

* Houston 97, Seattle 93

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 24 points and Clyde Drexler made the go-ahead basket for the Rockets, who took a 2-1 series lead. C8

* PLAYOFF BRACKET: C8

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

LAKERS vs. JAZZ

Jazz leads series, 2-1

* Game 1: Jazz, 93-77

* Game 2: Jazz, 103-101

* Game 3: Lakers, 104-84

* Today: at Forum, 12:30 p.m.

* Monday: at Utah, 7:30 p.m.

* Wednesday: at Forum, TBA-x

* May 17: at Utah, TBA-x

x-if necessary

SERIES IN REVIEW

GAME 1

At Salt Lake City

Jazz, 93-77

The Lakers, with only one day of rest after their victory over Portland, looked like a tired team against Utah, making only nine of 41 shots in the second half. Shaquille O’Neal was held to 17 points by . . . Greg Ostertag? Actually, the Jazz didn’t look much like a team that went 64-18 overall and 38-3 at home, but sweeping the Clippers in the first round must have made Utah overconfident.

GAME 2

At Salt Lake City

Jazz, 103-101

It was the slap heard ‘round the world--except by the three officials. Nick Van Exel was hit on the wrist by Karl Malone as he tried to take a three-point shot at the buzzer, but there was no call. Malone scored 31 points and didn’t complain about the last non-call. It was a wasted effort by the Lakers, who got no points from Eddie Jones, but 24 points in 25 minutes from Byron Scott and seven-for-seven shooting on three-pointers by Robert Horry. Maybe he should have tried the last shot.

GAME 3

At Forum

Lakers, 104-84

There must have been some mistake. That couldn’t have been Karl Malone making only two of 20 shots. John Stockton missed all six of his shots. If it hadn’t been for Jeff Hornacek, the Lakers might have won this one by 40. Utah’s starters, except for Hornacek, made four of 40 shots. Speaking of mistakes, referee Dick Bavetta must have confused Shaquille O’Neal with Dennis Rodman and ejected him in the fourth quarter.