This Is Not the Time to Cry for Help

There’s a lot the Lakers could learn from the Utah Jazz. Too bad the only thing the Lakers have picked up so far is how to whine about the referees.

No team uses more dirty tricks and wants more sympathy from the officials during a game than the Jazz. Karl Malone shoots the most free throws in the league, but he’s always complaining the one or two times a game he doesn’t get to go to the line. It was so refreshing to see him actually get a technical foul in Game 2.

But the Jazz let the whining end when the game ends. The Lakers don’t know when to quit.

Shaquille O’Neal giving official Steve Javie an earful after the buzzer sounds couldn’tchange the fact that the Lakers are down 0-2 in the Western Conference finals.

Robert Horry crying about “outside forces” influencing the game won’t sit well with the league office, or with the fans who saw the Lakers implode during the fourth quarter Monday.

It’s very rare that a referee can directly alter the outcome of a game. The Lakers had a legitimate gripe over the no-call on Nick Van Exel’s last-second shot in Game 2 last year. The Chicago Bulls still can’t forget that foul called on Scottie Pippen when he brushed Hubert Davis’ arm well after the ball was in the air in Game 5 of their conference semifinal series against the Knicks in 1994. Davis made the winning free throws and New York went on to win in seven games.

In those cases the Lakers and Bulls didn’t get a chance to recover. The bottom line Monday was no matter how much the Lakers thought they were hindered by the officials, they still had the chance to tie the score with 1:19 left. But Derek Fisher missed a free throw. (If the referee was waving his hands under the basket, it was hard to tell on television.)

Then the Jazz, not the officials, executed yet another perfect pick-and-roll to get Antoine Carr a wide-open jump shot off the pass from John Stockton to go ahead by three. Where was the Laker rotation?

Some nights the officials will make some calls or miss some calls that hurt you. Six fourth-quarter turnovers in a tight game will get you every time. Four of those turnovers came in less than four minutes and helped the Jazz make a 13-1 run. Del Harris had it right when he said, “That was the part that did us in.”

Yes, the Lakers had calls go against them during the course of the game. What else did they expect in Utah? That’s what home-court advantage is all about.

If it bothers you so much, Lakers, next time don’t get swept by the Philadelphia 76ers and lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics at home. Then you’ll have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs even if Shaq misses a fourth of the season again.

Winning two of three games in Seattle during the previous series was very impressive. Winning two games in Utah, which would be the task if the Lakers slip up once at the Forum, would be impossible. It took an act of Jordan for the Bulls to escape with one victory during the three finals games at the Delta Center last year.

If the Lakers are going to lose this series--and it’s starting to look a lot more like “when” than “if”--they might as well do so with class.

I’ve never heard Jazz players say they were beaten by anyone other than their opponent, even if the looks on their faces say otherwise.

The fans at the Great Western Forum can shape this image too. Try to come up with a more creative chant.

And it shouldn’t be too hard to look basketball-savvy compared to the Jazz crowd.

The Utah fans could scale it down some and still be the most loyal in the league. As it stands now, they’ve crossed into the realm of zealous faith. They believe their Jazz can do no wrong and they rain down boos practically every time a Jazz player is called for a foul or contact occurs and an opponent isn’t whistled.

The organization encourages it by replaying close plays on the big screens and flashing “BOOOOO!!” on the auxiliary scoreboards.

Getting on the officials when Stockton gets bumped accidentally in the backcourt and still maintains his dribble is characteristic of fans who don’t really know the game. Give me the crowd at Madison Square Garden any day.

The Lakers play right into the Utah fans’ hands when they gripe about the officiating. Imagine how many “crybaby” signs they’ll bring to the next game at the Delta Center.

This season won’t be a failure if the Lakers don’t go the finals. What would be a waste of time, however, is if they don’t see why Utah is beating them: consistent defensive efforts and precise execution down the stretch.

No need to put everything on this season. If the Lakers don’t have the savvy to beat the Jazz now, they can rest assured that they’ll be smarter and the Jazz will be older next time. Utah won’t get too many more chances.

The officials, on the other hand, aren’t going anywhere. Deal with it.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

A Tale of Two Lakers

Comparing L.A. in the playoffs, before Utah and versus Utah: Record

Before Utah: 7-2

Utah: 0-2

FG %

Before Utah: .510

Utah: .375

Opponent FG%

Before Utah: .446

Utah: .527

FT%

Before Utah: .660

Utah: .625

Rebounds

Before Utah: 40.4

Utah: 39.0

Opp. Rebounds

Before Utah: 38.9

Utah: 44.5

Scoring

Before Utah: 104.6

Utah: 86

Opp. Scoring

Before Utah: 96.8

Utah: 105.5

Turnovers

Before Utah: 13.0

Utah: 14.5

Opp. Turnover

Before Utah: 13.7

Utah: 17.0

***

O’NEAL

Before Utah: .641 FG%, 10.6 Reb., 29.9 pts.

Utah: .541, 7.5, 25.0

JONES

Before Utah: .495, 3.9, 17.9

Utah: .438, 3.5, 12.5

VAN EXEL

Before Utah: .367, 2.7, 12.8

Utah: .238, 1.0, 7.5

FOX

Before Utah: .463, 4.8, 11.4

Utah: .438, 3.5, 11.0

HORRY

Before Utah: .593, 6.8, 10.4

Utah: .333, 5.0, 4.0

BRYANT

Before Utah: .435, 2.0, 8.0

Utah: .292, 3.0, 12.5

FISHER

Before Utah: .422, 2.1,, 6.2

Utah: .417, 1.5, 7.5