Jackson Won’t Count Out Kings

The Sacramento Kings, Laker Coach Phil Jackson warned his players, are not dead yet.

One year ago, the Kings were pounded, 117-87, at Utah in Game 1 of that Western Conference first-round series, then came to back to win Game 2 by 11 points and eventually push the Jazz to a decisive Game 5.

After the Lakers’ 10-point Game 1 victory over the Kings, recent history makes tonight’s Game 2 a huge game for both teams, Jackson said Wednesday.

“Hey, I’d like to sweep a series,” Jackson said. “I’d like to sweep to a championship. I’d like to go 15-0.

“The less you have to play, the better off you are in the playoffs. The more you have to play, the more chance of injuries, the more excruciating it becomes. We’d love to sweep, but we’re going to talk about Game 2.

“Last year, they pushed Utah to a fifth game. They got a lot of credibility, they got a lot of confidence out of it.”

*

After blasting his first-team unit Tuesday, Jackson said he was relatively pleased with Wednesday’s brisker practice.

“I think yesterday we got off to a slow start, got a little sloppy in practice,” Glen Rice said. “But we came back in today and were focused.”

Kobe Bryant said that the long break between games has gotten the Lakers particularly motivated to play again, at last.

“I think guys are just a little bit antsy, a little bit agitated, tired of beating up on one another,” Bryant said. “So our tempers are naturally a little bit shorter than they normally are, because we’re so eager to play.”

*

After the Kings’ complaints after Game 1 that Shaquille O’Neal was getting away with offensive fouls to get position in the key (and that King forward Chris Webber was whistled for fouls he shouldn’t have gotten), Jackson said the Lakers probably will have to concentrate early in Game 2 on keeping O’Neal away from unnecessary contact.

The officials, Jackson suggested, may be inclined to call some quick fouls on O’Neal.

“We brought that point to Shaq--it’s going to be different,” Jackson said. “They’re going to error against him. And he’s going to have to be taking his space, not eating up anybody else’s. That’s probably where the focus is going to be.”

Said Bryant: “We’re going to have to get Shaq a lot of easy touches, because of what’s been going on, what they’ve been saying about the foul situation. We don’t want Shaq to have to catch the ball outside the paint and have to muscle it to the hoop and get some cheap fouls.”

*

After sitting out two practices because of flu, Travis Knight participated in Wednesday’s workout and should be available tonight, Jackson said.