These Lakers Look Great, but Will They Be Back?

Anyone who says he knows what’s going to happen in the NBA playoffs this season has been taking too much Viagra.

Who could have guessed Charlotte would win at Chicago, that San Antonio would have a shot to win in the final seconds at Utah, that Spike Lee would send Reggie Miller roses (OK, they were black ones)?

Or that the Lakers would leave so many questions about themselves unanswered in Game 1 at Seattle on Monday night and then answer them all two nights later in a 92-68 victory over the SuperSonics?

No rebounds, no rings? The Lakers outrebounded Seattle, 62-43.

The team that couldn’t shoot straight? The Lakers shot 84% from the free-throw line. Shaquille O’Neal was six for six. The team that wouldn’t commit to defense? Seattle had only 42 points in the last three quarters.

The one-dimensional Shaq? He was even better on defense than offense, playing like an MVP.

Nick’s knees? He was the same Van Excellent who used to give Gary Payton fits.

The Lakers who won Wednesday night would win the NBA championship. But if you know which Laker team will show up Friday night at the Great Western Forum, you’re smarter than me. Or Del Harris.

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Christine Brennan was in town recently to promote her entertaining and insightful book, “Edge of Glory,” about the figure skaters and skating involved in the 1998 Winter Olympics. . . .

Most of our conversation, however, was about a recent letter in USA Today from Scott Hamilton critical of her reporting for that newspaper. . . .

Hamilton was particularly offended by Brennan’s suggestion that Tara Lipinski would be able to “kick back” by “joining the circus” of professional skating. . . .

Brennan admitted she had second thoughts about her use of “kick back,” acknowledging that most pro figure skaters, especially Hamilton, work hard. . . .

The difference, we agreed, is that professional figure skating is theater with competitive elements while Olympic figure skating is competition with theatrical elements. . . .

In any case, Hamilton’s argument is hardly advanced by Lipinski’s pro debut, “The 1998 Skate TV Championships,” tonight on ABC. . . .

The only judge on the panel who knows a toe pick from an ice pick is hockey player Cammi Granato. . . .

Lipinski must thank her agent, Mike Burg, for getting tonight’s show prime-time television exposure--opposite the next-to-last episode of “Seinfeld.” . . .

In the current edition of Vanity Fair, Jerry Seinfeld told of a conversation he had with Michael Jordan when the Bulls were at the Great Western Forum this season. . . .

“I was teasing him about how he can’t quit now because I’ve already done it,” Seinfeld said. “I told him, ‘You can’t quit bigger than I did, so what are you gonna do?’ ”

Jordan responded, “I would too quit bigger.” . . .

“Two very competitive guys,” Seinfeld said. . . .

Both are masters of their domains. . . .

Fernando Vargas, the Oxnard junior-middleweight who is 11-0 as a professional with 11 knockouts, fights Eddie Hall on Saturday night. . . .

But Vargas might be seeing another boxer’s face when throwing punches. . . .

“Yes, I really do hate Oscar De La Hoya,” he says. “He’s arrogant. He’s rude to young fighters. He just ignores them instead of helping them.” . . .

Rafer Johnson and Janet Evans will lead the Parade of Olympians, some dating as far back as the 1932 Summer Games, during the L.A. Sports Council’s Olympic Gala on Friday night at the Century Plaza Hotel. . . .

Proceeds benefit the U.S. Olympic Committee and Los Angeles’ bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. . . .

Johnny Gray should be approaching retirement by then. . . .

You don’t have to look quite so far ahead to anticipate the return of the Breeders’ Cup, which could be at Santa Anita in 2001. . . .

Kent Desormeaux, who rode Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet, will sign autographs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Los Alamitos. . . .

Before he left USC after his junior season to become the Raiders’ first-round draft choice last year, defensive tackle Darrell Russell promised he would return to school for his diploma. . . .

Scheduled to complete work for his history degree this summer, he will participate in graduation ceremonies Friday. . . .

The commencement speaker is former Temple quarter-miler Bill Cosby.

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While wondering when the Cubs will trade Kerry Wood, I was thinking: Darren Dreifort continues to get less out of more stuff than any pitcher in either league, Spike Lee shouldn’t have sent those black roses to Reggie Miller, he got game.