Wallace Earns Redemption With Big Game

Round and round he goes, which Rasheed Wallace will show, nobody knows.

That was Dr. Jekyll on Monday for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, playing a major role in the Trail Blazers’ 106-77 win.

It had been Mr. Hide on Saturday for Game 1, Wallace spending more time out of sight, in the locker room, than on the court because of foul trouble and his eventual ejection after expending more energy on the referees than on the Lakers.

Yet it was the same player. At least, that’s what one of the Rasheed Wallaces said.

“Nothing changed from Game 1,” he said after Game 2. “I still went out there enthusiastic and in attack mode. Nothing was different.”

Try telling that to the Lakers, for whom everything was different.

Wallace, an all-star power forward, played only 16 minutes Saturday at Staples Center before getting tossed by Ron Garretson for staring, and the Trail Blazers lost big. Then, he played 46 of the 48 minutes Monday, barely opening his mouth to officials and contributing a game-high 29 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, and the Trail Blazers won big.

In the aftermath of the resurgence, Coach Mike Dunleavy was asked what had been the difference in Wallace.

“About 23 minutes,” Dunleavy said.

Bad math, but good point. Wallace’s presence, or lack thereof, is a critical issue as the series moves to the Rose Garden for Game 3 on Friday, hardly a bold statement but one that was made all the more pronounced by his display Monday in Los Angeles.

“He might not have said it to anybody, but I know he was real frustrated about the other day,” teammate Bonzi Wells said. “Like he let everybody down.”

Added Brian Grant, Wallace’s backup, “He came up big for us. And he’ll continue to come up big for us.”

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But the rebel still lives:

Wallace was fined $10,000 by the league Tuesday for failing to make himself available for interviews after Game 1 and practice the next day. The Trail Blazers were also fined $25,000 for failing to comply with the NBA’s media policy.

Wallace spoke after Game 2 on Monday night. But the team broke the rule again Tuesday by not having anyone available for reporters. The Trail Blazers did not practice, but NBA policy requires that the coach and at least one player be available every day in the playoffs, a guideline the Lakers and most other teams have followed on days off.

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The 29-point victory Monday was the second-biggest win in Trail Blazer playoff history. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 130-98, in Game 4 of the 1977 finals.