Charting the Lead / A Look at the Lakers’ Lead or Deficit By the Minute

First Quarter

* Highlight Reel: Everybody sing it, you know the words! “They’re on the floor and they’re ready to score, so let the game begin. You’ll see the best in basketball when you watch the NBA on CBS.” Sorry, folks. Wrong decade. Wrong network. Wrong Lakers. Wrong result.

* What You Won’t Find in the Box Score: Any sign of a Laker pulse. It was there for a while in Game 3, but it was difficult to spot for the start of Game 4. Hey, Rick Fox, the ball is not a hot potato, if you’re open, shoot. Too much Shaquille O’Neal going it alone means trouble for the Lakers.

* Winning Number: Only a two-point Laker deficit at quarter’s end.

* Wrong Number: The Lakers shooting 32%.

* Leading Scorers: Lakers--O’Neal 8; Jazz--Karl Malone 8.

* Leading Rebounders: Lakers--Three with 3; Jazz--Malone 6.

Jazz 20, Lakers 18

Second Quarter

* Highlight Reel: Laker Eddie Jones’ jump shot early in the quarter ended a 14-0 Jazz run. It was the first sign that the Lakers weren’t particularly interested in getting routed by 35 points again. The Lakers led, 18-14, late in the first quarter, but trailed, 28-20, after Jones’ basket.

* What You Won’t Find in the Box Score: A Laker to counter Utah’s reserves. Shandon Anderson’s layup and Howard Eisley’s consecutive three-pointers gave the Jazz a 10-point lead to start the quarter.

* Winning Number: Malone had 18 points by halftime.

* Wrong Number: O’Neal had 15 of the Lakers’ 38 points, good for him perhaps but bad news for the team.

* Leading Scorers: Lakers--O’Neal 7; Jazz--Malone 10.

* Leading Rebounders: Lakers--Robert Horry 3; Jazz--Malone 3.

Jazz 47, Lakers 38

Third Quarter

* Highlight Reel: It meant absolutely nothing in the end, but Laker Kobe Bryant blocked Bryon Russell’s attempt at a short jumper in the lane late in the quarter. The Lakers failed to capitalize at the other end, however, and a moment later Malone’s layup gave the Jazz another 10-point lead. It seemed typical of the way things went for the Lakers.

* What You Won’t Find in the Box Score: An answer as to why the Lakers shot so poorly, particularly when you consider that so many of their shots were layups.

* Winning Number: The Lakers held John Stockton scoreless after three quarters.

* Wrong Number: The Lakers shooting 31.3%.

* Leading Scorers: Lakers--O’Neal, Elden Campbell 4; Jazz--Russell 6.

* Leading Rebounders: Lakers--Horry 4; Jazz--Malone 4.

Jazz 67, Lakers 57

Fourth Quarter

* Highlight Reel: Life goes on. The Dodgers look as if they’ve discovered a backbone after trading Mike Piazza. The Angels are always worth a laugh or two. The World Cup starts next month. Goooooooooaaaaaaaaal!

* What You Won’t Find in the Box Score: A better center than O’Neal, who averaged 31 points in the series. What’s needed is more veteran leadership around him next season.

* Winning Number: The Jazz made 15 consecutive free throws starting midway through the third quarter until Greg Foster missed one on purpose with two seconds left in the game.

* Wrong Number: The Lakers made only eight of 13 free throws in the quarter.

* Leading Scorers: Lakers--O’Neal 19; Jazz--Malone 10.

* Leading Rebounders: Lakers--O’Neal 2; Jazz--Greg Ostertag 3.

Jazz 96, Lakers 92