Upset Loss Makes Lakers Worriers

One team has had a tough time of it lately, trying to play through a difficult situation, trying to find some stability within, trying to find their passion again.

And then there are the Golden State Warriors.

You couldn’t tell the downtrodden without a program Wednesday night. At least until near the end, by which time the Lakers were slinking home, tails between their legs, and the Warriors had the boom box cranked in the locker room and their pride going nearly as loud, part of the celebration of the 93-92 upset before 13,414 at Oakland Coliseum Arena.

The other part, after Joe Smith got 27 points and Erick Dampier had 19 points and 16 rebounds, was noting how much Laker intensity had diminished since the last time the teams met, Nov. 9 at the Forum. About 4 1/2 weeks ago, and 40 light years ago.

“Definitely,” Warrior guard Bimbo Coles said. “That’s something we said at halftime. It didn’t look like they wanted to be out there and playing.”

Added Dampier, who came in averaging 7.9 points and 7.9 rebounds and then set career bests in both categories: “Yeah, we could sense that. It seemed like they didn’t want to be out there tonight. We wanted to take advantage of that.”

Consider it done. The Warriors not only won for only the third time in 18 games, but did it by outplaying the Lakers in the fourth quarter, thereby officially putting to rest some silly notion that L.A. is at its most dominant then.

Maybe that was true in the first 11 games. In the last nine, since the end of the season-opening win streak, they have been outscored in the final period four times. Wednesday, the Warriors, the team playing .118 ball, did it, 19-15, and held on for the victory when Nick Van Exel ran defender Coles off a screen to get open, but missed a 15-footer just before the buzzer.

The first three-game losing streak since January of 1996 came as they again sputtered on offense (42.3%, 19 turnovers), again lacked defensive intensity and again failed to muster much emotional spark. So, Coach Del Harris cut them up, again.

“We’re very disappointed in our performance tonight,” he said. “We have not played but one good game since we lost our first game. We played a good game versus San Antonio, but other than that, we have not played well.

“Our whole game has disintegrated. At this point, we’re not doing anything well. Not shooting well, from the field or the line. Not passing well. Not the running game.

“I’d like to see a little more enthusiasm. I’d like to see more passion in our play. It seems like we understood our purpose when we had the winning streak. . . . Our real purpose is to win the championship. To do that, you need the best record in the league or at least the best record in the conference. We don’t seem to acknowledge it. I talk about it, but I don’t seem to get a response from anyone.

“Saying the playoffs are what really matters is ducking the issue. We found that out last year. Get yourself a bad seeding and you’ll have to pay.”

A response? Since Latrell Sprewell attacked Coach P.J. Carlesimo on Dec. 1, eventually to be suspended from the entire NBA for a calendar year and have the event wildfire into a social matter, the Warriors are 2-2, with victories over the Orlando Magic and the Lakers.

Since the Lakers opened with the team-record win streak, meanwhile, they have gone 4-5, have lost to last-place teams in two divisions (Philadelphia and Golden State), and, thanks to Wednesday’s defeat, have fallen into second place in the Pacific Division. The standings may mean nothing in December, except to show that the 11-0 start has been completely wasted.

“Confidence,” Kobe Bryant said after getting a team-high 20 points. “We’re not playing like we’re the No. 1 team. There was a certain attitude when we had the winning streak going. A certain cockiness, like we can’t be beat. Now we’re coming out like we are anticipating a dogfight instead of just putting teams away.”

Said Van Exel, who missed a layup in the final minute: “The players feel fine. But we’re not going out and playing like we’re feeling fine.”

This might be a good time for a recovery. The Houston Rockets, winners of nine in a row, come to the Forum on Friday.

That might make the events of Wednesday the wake-up call. Of course, it shouldn’t have had to come to that in the first place.

As Harris said: “How many times do you have to be slapped?”