Seattle Lowers Boom, 113-108

The chase for the best record in the Pacific Division, the Western Conference and the NBA tore through the Great Western Forum on Friday night in the capable hands of the Seattle SuperSonics, who made the Lakers chase almost the entire game. Which was only fitting since that’s what will now happen in the standings.

The SuperSonics’ 113-108 overtime victory behind 33 points and 10 rebounds from Vin Baker, overshadowing the 44 points and 12 rebounds by Shaquille O’Neal and the 15 points and 14 rebounds by Robert Horry, gave them a three-game lead. Hardly insurmountable, but all the more significant as they head into a stretch in which six of the next seven games are at home, while the Lakers prepare to travel.

Befitting the team trying to make up a deficit in the standings, the Lakers’ only lead in regulation came at 2-1, forcing them to play catch-up practically the entire night, including from 11 down at the end of the first quarter. An 11-1 run late the final 2:22 of the fourth earned the 97-97 tie and overtime, after Baker missed a straight-away 18-footer at the buzzer, and a three-pointer by Nick Van Exel one minute into the extra period finally put them back ahead, 100-99.

The Lakers were up again at 102-100, after O’Neal hit from the lane. But that proved to be their final advantage, making it all of 90 seconds in which they led during the game.

Consecutive jumpers by Sam Perkins, a three-pointer, and Hersey Hawkins gave the SuperSonics a 105-102 edge. And, after O’Neal connected from close range, Baker scored on back-to-back possessions, making it 109-104 with 48 seconds remaining.

The Lakers couldn’t even take advantage of the return of Eddie Jones after two games out because of illness--he spent the final 7:53, including the five-minute overtime period, on the bench, apparently out of energy. They got as close as 110-108 when Kobe Bryant scored with 16.5 seconds left, and then had a chance to tie when Detlef Schrempf missed one of two free throws on the ensuing possession by Seattle.

But Bryant’s straight-away three-pointer with about eight seconds left and Schrempf in his face was long, bouncing off the heel and back out to Schrempf. He was fouled and made both attempts from the line, providing for the 1130-108 margin.

And the three-game lead in the Western Conference.

The flu Jones picked up during all-star weekend in New York and the sinus infection that came soon after only served to further disrupt Laker stability, first jolted when Van Exel and Horry were knocked the same night by injury. Come Friday, when Jones returned to action and to the opening lineup, it marked their sixth new group of starters in as many games.

Whether he returned to action at full strength was quite another matter.

“I still kind of have a little head cold,” Jones said. “But definitely, the flu is finally, finally behind me.”

Just not before it did some damage. What he called the harshest illness of his life started in New York, followed him cross-country to Portland, Ore., forcing him to stay in bed at the hotel while the Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers, and then down the coast to Los Angeles, keeping him home for Wednesday’s victory over the Warriors. The first sign of activity came Thursday, when he lifted weights.

Friday morning, he felt fine, attended the shoot-around, got in some extra running and shooting . . . and wore himself out. He went home, he went to bed, hoping to recharge. He said he felt better by tipoff, part of the recovery coming from the sleep, part from another obvious factor:

“Because it’s Seattle.”

That may have helped in the first meeting--Jones, appearing very energized, had 23 points, eight rebounds and two steals Jan. 24 in KeyArena, a 101-95 victory for the SuperSonics. The matchup is no magic elixir, though. He missed all five shots through the first three quarters as the Lakers trailed for all but 22 seconds of that time, and he finished one of eight from the field in 24 minutes.

That just made for a continuation of the damage from the illness, having first cost Jones two games and six pounds. Both were significant setbacks.

“I can’t afford it,” he said of the weight loss, practically a crash diet for someone with his exclamation-point of a physique. “I can’t afford to lose one pound.”