For Incentive, Pippen Goes to the Rings

To help keep his teammates focused, forward Scottie Pippen brought out his six NBA championship rings won with the Chicago Bulls. No words were needed because the message hit home with the Portland Trail Blazers. They realize that if they lose tonight their season is over.

“They are pretty impressive,” guard Greg Anthony said about Pippen’s ring collection. “I’m sure everybody here would love to have one. . . . I think he did it for some of the younger guys to let them know what this is really all about and how precious [this opportunity] is. A lot of hard work and sweat, blood and tears goes into capturing something of that magnitude.”

Pippen said his two dislocated fingers on his left hand should not be a problem for tonight’s game and that he plans to give it his all because he knows from his experience with the Houston Rockets that you never know if you’ll get another chance.

“It doesn’t concern me with how [the Lakers] play. I’m only concerned with how we play,” Pippen said. “All we have to do is defend our home court one time. . . . It’s fair to say that championship teams do not lose three consecutive home games in the playoffs. We can afford to say that now because if we don’t win, we know we won’t win the championship.”

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Portland Coach Mike Dunleavy probably won’t hesitate to go with a big lineup tonight after having success playing without a point guard in the fourth quarter of Game 5.

After watching the Lakers post up Kobe Bryant over smaller guard Damon Stoudamire and not getting much production out of Anthony, the Trail Blazers have liked how Pippen and Steve Smith or Bonzi Wells have played together in the backcourt.

“Going into the series, I talked to Scottie about the possibility [of playing a big backcourt] because of their size,” Dunleavy said. “We had used it at times during the season and in practice to where he was comfortable doing it.”

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Portland, which has had 91 consecutive home sellouts at the Rose Garden, was stunned by losses to the Lakers in Games 3 and 4.

“I think we have been less aggressive at home and that’s been a key for us,” Dunleavy said. “We have to keep our aggressiveness up. In the second half, we have been a little more passive with our double teams. Sometimes it has been because we have guys in foul trouble and trying to keep themselves in games. Against the Lakers, you can’t do that.”

Smith was not bashful when he talked about what the Trail Blazers need to end their two-game home losing streak.

“This is a great opportunity for us, but we have to prove we can defend our home court,” Smith said. “I hope we get all the calls, have the crowd make a difference . . . I hope we get it all.”