Tension Comes With the Latest Laker Setback

They were at trip’s end Monday night, and not far from wit’s end.

The Lakers had endured three losses in a six-game, nine-day trip, including the lion’s den at the outset that was Orlando, Fla., and the harsher-still atmosphere of New York a week later. There was also the scare of the killer tornado that mowed through Central Florida during their stay.

And when it was over, finally over, they were left to endure one more thing.

Themselves.

The season’s longest trip concluded with a 96-86 loss to the Washington Wizards before 20,674 at the MCI Center as Chris Webber had 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, but was really punctuated by far-greater implications. Beyond the 3-3 record on the trip, beyond the notion of the Seattle SuperSonics pulling away for good--hardly an original concept even before this journey that included thousands and thousands of miles and just as much ground lost.

In the end, some Lakers were sitting and some were not standing for it anymore. Kobe Bryant played a season-low 12 minutes and got benched for the entire fourth quarter in a disciplinary move by Coach Del Harris, who finally dropped the hammer on the individual play. Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal ripped fellow all-star Eddie Jones for similar acts.

“The emotional state right now is that everyone’s upset,” Robert Horry said. “We were real upset after the New York game [the day before] and now we’re extremely upset.”

Few more than O’Neal.

“Stupid team,” he said. “Because we don’t learn. If the jump shots are not falling, throw it in. We’ve got guys on this team who think they’re Rex Chapman, shooting fadeaway jumpers.

“Know what? Certain guys have got to look in the mirror. When I play bad, I know it. You guys [the media] tear me up and they make jokes on ESPN.

“It’s very, very disappointing. We just have to play smarter.”

The team captain never mentioned Jones by name, but the target was clear, Jones having just gone eight for 22 from the field, including two for six on three-pointers.

O’Neal also got 22 shots--the two combined for more than half the Lakers’ 84 attempts--and made 12 of those against Terry Davis and Ben Wallace, what passes for a patchwork center these days on a beat-up team. O’Neal, who failed to take advantage of a similar mismatch the day before against Charles Oakley, Terry Cummings and Herb Williams and became angry at the officiating, finished with 28 points against the Wizards. He also had 15 rebounds, a breakout after three consecutive games in single digits.

Bryant, meanwhile, got only seven shots. Because of many of those seven shots, he played three minutes in the first quarter behind Derek Fisher at the point, six in the second at shooting guard and small forward and the final 3:17 of the third period . . . and then sat the rest of the night.

The move by Harris came as the Lakers were struggling for offense, managing only 31.6% shooting and 19 points in the final quarter. That made the benching even more obvious.

“I just felt the team play wasn’t there to the extent I wanted it,” Harris said. “That was a carryover from the fourth quarter [Sunday] night. I’ve got the whole team to worry about. It’s just important that we emphasize team play.”

Bryant also has been playing with an ear infection the last few days, a concern to the point that he took the train from New York to Washington rather than a flight that could have been painful. He got it drained Monday morning, but he said it wasn’t a factor in missing five of the seven attempts that extended his shooting slump to 25.9% over the last five games and 36.7% in the 12 outings since the All-Star break.

“He just wasn’t himself,” Harris said. “Plus, I thought he got a little bit away from the team game.”

Bryant admitted as much--”Maybe,” he said--but added:

“If I come off a pick and I’m open, I’m going to shoot it. I’m not going to be bashful, I’m not going to lose my aggressiveness.”

There were other maybes. Like when asked if Harris was obviously sending a message.

“Maybe.” Bryant responded. “Who knows. Who knows.”

So went the Lakers into the not-so-good night, bound for Los Angeles, finally. Or maybe points unknown.