Bittersweep End

All that is left for the Lakers is another one of those summers of contemplation for which they have become so famous, though obviously not real good at, leaving them to consider a team that went a step beyond last year and still took a step back.

The Lakers were overwhelmed against the Utah Jazz, not even getting a moral victory by avoiding a sweep, an indignity that came with the 96-92 loss at the Great Western Forum Sunday in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

Shaquille O’Neal lashed out at teammates, noting, “If they don’t want to play, then they need to ask for a trade.”

Coach Del Harris congratulated the Jazz, but put much of the final outcome on a series of fourth-quarter calls by the referees, a move sure to infuriate Jerry West and Jerry Buss just as they begin to contemplate what effect a four-and-out showing will have on Harris’ once-secure job.

Magic Johnson, the vice president and part owner who has Buss’ ear? He just trashed them all.

“There is something missing from this team,” he said. “There is no sense of urgency. We played four games exactly the same. We made no adjustments. You can’t play like that.

“This is something we have to address. Dr. Buss is upset. I’m upset. This is not the way we are supposed to go out.”

Not by losing four in a row, the last two of which were at home, sending the Jazz to the championship series for the second year in a row and the Lakers to their first playoff defeat-by-sweep in nine years, back when they at least had the excuse of being injured against the Pistons. Like Nick Van Exel said, all getting to this round did was shorten their vacations a little.

There were the Lakers claiming that such a finish can not detract from the successes of the previous 6 1/2 months, but to come this far and lose this badly puts them back to a year ago, before they had supposedly learned all those lessons and looked in all those mirrors. When it counted most, they hadn’t learned a thing.

The in-fighting was not there, or at least not as apparent, compared to last year’s second-round elimination at the hands of the Jazz, but the same inability to handle the challenge was obvious.

So the Lakers got the same lessons and set out on what has become their signature soul-searching, following in the proud tradition of their hellish endings in 1996 against the Rockets and ’97 versus Utah.

“I’m very shocked,” said Corie Blount, who went from barely playing early in the postseason to becoming the backup power forward. “I didn’t think anyone could sweep us. I remember saying we could go in there and sweep them. Guess I didn’t know what we were in store for.”

Said Derek Fisher: “It is hard to go home when you feel as if you’ve been dominated like you weren’t even there.”

They were only there for brief times. Sunday at least brought a third consecutive opportunity in the fourth quarter, after the Game 1 blowout when Laker fates had been decided by early in the second period. Which also meant that Sunday brought a third consecutive disappointment.

This time, after having the previous chances end in losses by four and seven points, they were within six points with four minutes remaining and three with 1:36 left. It was still three, 90-87, when one of the rulings that angered the Lakers occurred. O’Neal made a short jumper from the right side while being fouled by Karl Malone, but he did not get the continuation call.

Instead, with 27.6 seconds to go, O’Neal went to the line and missed both attempts, after making 10 of his first 16 free throws of the day and six of his previous eight en route to a game-high 38 points.

When Kobe Bryant scored with 22.7 seconds remaining, he was the first Laker besides O’Neal to score in a span of 3:38.

“Shaquille was the only guy down the stretch who was willing to take the shot,” Utah’s Karl Malone said after his 32 points and 14 rebounds.

Malone capitalized on O’Neal’s missed free throws by making two free throws moments later, making for a 92-87 cushion. Bryant kept the pressure on Utah with a three-point play with 22.7 showing, but the Jazz ended the threat, even after Van Exel’s layin with 7.3 seconds remaining, with the help of two smooth and efficient press breaks. The first resulted in a game of keep-away before the Lakers could grab John Stockton and Stockton could make two from the line, the second in Greg Foster’s dunk with 2.5 seconds left that made for the 96-92 final.

What had been apparent for a couple of days had become official. The Lakers were done, left only with their vacations and their latest attempts to find an explanation. All they knew by late Sunday afternoon, before clearing out of the locker room, was that none were immediately forthcoming.

“Not much you can say,” Van Exel said. “It’s over.”

NBA Notes

Reggie Miller, the hero of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals, is uncertain for today’s Game 4. Miller didn’t practice Sunday and received treatment for a sprained right ankle suffered in the third quarter of Indiana’s 107-105 victory over Chicago. Miller scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter of the victory.

* RANDY HARVEY: C2

* CHARTING THE GAME: C8

* THE X-FACTORS: C9