Jackson Bemoans Poor Production From Reserves
The Laker reserves were almost invisible during Wednesday’s victory over the Utah Jazz, partly because Coach Phil Jackson kept his starters in for most of the game and partly because, as has happened for much of the first 13 games, none of the reserves did much in the time they got.
Four of the five starters played 39 minutes or more, and Shaquille O’Neal, in what Jackson called “probably one of the best games I’ve ever seen him play overall,” accumulated 39 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in 45 hard minutes.
The only points the subs produced were the four by Rick Fox (the rest of the reserves were 0 for 9 shooting).
“The disappointing thing about the game for us is we obviously didn’t get a lot of bench support from our team,” said Jackson, who did not play Travis Knight and gave Robert Horry only three minutes. “And some of it is my doing, some of it is security factor out there. We just didn’t have a good bench game. . . .
“I just don’t think we have dedicated enough space to get them comfortable, [where they feel], ‘OK, I’m ready, I’m going in in two minutes.’ . . . It’s a night-to-night kind of thing for us.”
Fox, who could get some starts against smaller teams, such as tonight against the New Jersey Nets, has been the primary scorer among the reserves, but has hit a cold-shooting spell since an 18-point night Nov. 9 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Fox averaged 12 points in the first five games, and has averaged 5.6 in the eight since.
“I’m not as comfortable as I was in the first five games, because I was shooting the ball at a really high clip and feeling good about my game and the way I was able to contribute,” he said. “I’m not worried about the shot. You have those stretches. It’ll come back. Shooting the ball in rhythm is huge for me. If I shoot the ball in rhythm, then I’m probably a 10 times better shooter in this offense.”
TONIGHT
vs. New Jersey Nets
7:30, Fox Sports Net
* Site--Staples Center.
* Radio--KLAC 570.
* Records--Lakers 9-4; Nets 2-10.
* 1999 record vs. Nets--Did not play.
* Update--The Nets ended a seven-game losing streak on Wednesday by defeating the Golden State Warriors, but trouble lurks. Guard Stephon Marbury, the league’s No. 3 scorer, is shooting more than passing.
* Tickets--213-480-3232.