A Legacy the Lakers Could Use

They finish the regular season as the hottest team in the NBA, but are suddenly a flicker from elimination.

Favored to win a playoff series against a hated rival, they are embarrassed in the first two games of that series.

Once thought to be headed to the NBA finals, they awaken on a spring morning to find themselves trailing, two-games to none.

“We play 82 games and we finally start playing well together . . . moving, working,” says their coach. “And then we go ‘Kaboom, kaboom, kaboom.’ ”

The Lakers? Of course.

Today? Try 29 years ago.

What sounds like Del Harris was actually Butch van Breda Kolff.

What today’s Lakers are trying to do, those Lakers did: Climb uphill from a 2-0 deficit to win a playoff series.

In the team’s 37-year history, it has happened only once.

In 76 playoff series, facing 13 similar deficits, only once.

But once is a teacher. Once is a legacy. This being the playoffs, once is more than enough.

When the Lakers step on the Great Western Forum floor tonight against the Utah Jazz, they would be wise to look for the footprints.

The year was 1969.

The Lakers’ opponent in the West semifinals was the mediocre San Francisco Warriors.

Yes, everyone panicked when they lost their first two games . . . and at home, even.

Yes, they were a talented team on the verge of collapse.

Yes, tonight with the exception of home-court advantage, these Lakers are about where those Lakers were.

“Kaboom, kaboom,” and all.

The coach of the hottest team in the NBA makes two lineup changes before Game 3, one at forward, one at guard.

The team responds with a 17-point victory.

“The team just did the things it had to do,” the massive center says. “We’re pros and we did a professional job.”

Particularly that center, who, egged on by teammates, becomes more active in the middle, scoring 22 points with 28 rebounds.

Two days later, the hottest team remains aggressive and wins by 15 points, evening the series at two games apiece.

This time it is the intense guard who runs the game with 36 points, who plays so well that his style is ripped by the hated rivals.

“[The officials] protect him,” the rival coach grumbles. “Every time he’s ready to shoot, they’re ready to blow the whistle.”

The two new starters? Bill Hewitt and Johnny Egan, for Mel Counts and Keith Erickson.

The massive center? Wilt Chamberlain.

The intense guard? Jerry West.

The new focus? Defense.

It is the only way to climb back up in a fight like this, said Elgin Baylor, a member of that team.

“That’s what we had to do, it’s the same now as it was then,” Baylor said. “You can’t win the playoffs without defense.”

The Warriors averaged 109 points during the regular season, but never scored more than 98 in the final four games of the series.

Those two lineup changes made in Game 3 brought this defense.

Not to mention the sense of urgency.

“We took San Francisco for granted in the first two games, we were looking forward to the NBA championship already,” Baylor said. “Once we got that scare, we settled down.”

Returning home to where they had stumbled earlier, the hottest team in the NBA is greeted by a rousing record Forum crowd of 17,309 and takes a 3-2 lead in the series with . . . free throws?

That, and more defense.

A guard makes one free throw with 10 seconds remaining, the hated rivals are forced into a turnover, the guard makes two more to clinch a five-point victory.

Two nights later, the series is over as the hottest team takes a 42-point lead before winning by 40.

The hated rivals scored 78 points, the lowest total in franchise history.

“What can I say?” the winning coach says. “Our defense is half of our offense because when we’re playing defense we’re blocking shots and getting loose balls and that starts us moving.”

Close your eyes, and 29 years is not that long.

Wilt Chamberlain could be Shaquille O’Neal.

Jerry West could be Eddie Jones.

These Lakers could also use surprise lineup changes, big defense, renewed focus.

Beginning tonight, these Lakers could become those Lakers.

(With the possible exception of the free throws.)

“Sure we can, if we just play and stop all the moaning,” West said. “That’s what we did back then, we just played. We haven’t lost a home game yet. We’re still in decent shape.”

Added Tommy Hawkins, a Dodger executive who played on that team: “Basketball has not changed that much. To come back like we did against San Francisco, it takes unity, playing smart, and sharing.”

Now, for the rest of the story.

The Lakers used their stunning comeback victory over the Warriors as inspiration for a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the division finals.

But this vastly talented club lost the NBA championship in seven games to a workmanlike team that simply played better together.

The Boston Celtics.

Again.

“There was not a lot of happy campers on our team, it was a very talented group that never really came together,” Hawkins recalled. “We all thought we finally could take Boston but . . . you see it time and time again. The better team wins out.

“In the end, we could not be that team.”

Uh, how about the Lakers just forget the rest of the story?

Take it one legacy at a time.

Come out tonight and really lower the kaboom.