Lakers Regain Their Edge on Road as Harper’s Shot Beat Trail Blazers

There is still a ways to go, there are games left to win and lose, and moments to squander, cherish, measure and chisel into history.

But the glow in the Laker players’ eyes, the tangible shock of the Rose Garden sellout crowd, and the catch in Kobe Bryant’s voice communicated something deeper after the Lakers’ mesmerizing 93-91 Game 3 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

They did not simply go up, 2-1, in this best-of-seven Western Conference final series.

They went up, up, up . . . to a place the Lakers had not been in a long time.

In a second-half comeback that was bigger and more breathtaking than any in recent Laker playoff history, amid a final two minutes in which the world seemed to spin out of control, the Lakers might have found a moment to define themselves.

And maybe they found a path to a championship.

“When you talk about this organization and big wins, this one ranks right up there,” said guard Derek Fisher, who, along with Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, has been with the team since 1996, the longest tenured Lakers.

“If you’ve been following us for years, you understand how tough we’ve had it in pressure situations in playoffs and conference finals.

“And we took another step.”

A Laker team that used to cringe when the playoffs revved to their highest gear, struck back Friday after losing Game 2 and the home-court edge on Monday, this time weathering a crushing Portland opening salvo.

A Laker team that has seen its stars vanish in the toughest times, saw O’Neal and Bryant play all but a few seconds of the game, and make the biggest plays at the last moments.

And the Lakers, who had not won a road game in the Western Conference finals in nine years, got a go-ahead 19-foot jumper from Ron Harper with 29.9 seconds left, then forced a turnover and blocked Arvydas Sabonis’ desperation shot to win the game.

After the Sabonis shot rolled loose and the buzzer sounded, the Laker players visibly sagged, and then reached for their nearest teammate, catching themselves in unabashed hugs.

“I think it was a little bit of anger,” Bryant said, “a little bit of frustration . . . and it was joy.”

Joy. When’s the last time the Lakers felt that in the late rounds of the playoffs?

When’s the last time the Lakers silenced a crowd begging to beat L.A. in the postseason?

“It’s the biggest win since I’ve been here, most definitely,” Rick Fox said. “We responded for a change.

“I think we stood up for ourselves and found a way to win.”

The Lakers now have a chance in Sunday’s Game 4 here to push the Trail Blazers to the brink of elimination, knowing there still are two games scheduled to be played at Staples Center, if the series goes the full length.

“Now the pressure’s on them in Sunday’s ballgame,” Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. “If we could put another notch in our belt in this next game on Sunday, that spells really death’s door for Portland, and they know it.

“And this is a series that when you get that kind of momentum, you’ve got to ride it, and we’re going to have to ride it.”

After spotting the Trail Blazers an almost instant 15-2 lead, the Lakers settled in, kept taking the biggest Portland shots, and stayed in it. At halftime, they trailed by 10, and felt lucky to be behind only that much, with O’Neal still struggling against the double- and triple-teams and Portland running hot.

The Lakers surged in the third quarter--running off a 16-4 spurt to tie it, 65-65, with 2:49 left, and from there, the two teams slugged each other, pushed each other, threw the basketball at each other and generally kept at it until the buzzer sounded.

With O’Neal suddenly alive in the middle--scoring 18 second-half points, on his way to 26 points, plus 12 rebounds--the Lakers inched ahead, until they were up by nine, 83-74, early in the fourth.

Scottie Pippen rallied the Trail Blazers back, and with 1:15 left, it was tied, 91-91, and the series lurching to and fro.

With under a minute, Bryant took a dribble into the Portland defense, then fired a long pass to Harper, stationed in the left corner.

Harper, who had been a huge defensive presence in the second half as Jackson moved to double-team the ball at all times, grabbed it and calmly swished the shot.

“I was happy that the guys on the team know where I’m at,” Harper said. “I told them after the timeout that I would be wide open.”

Said Bryant, who had 25 points, seven rebound and seven assists: “Harp’s been hitting big shots his whole career. . . . Scottie’s been leaving him all game long, and it was just a wide-open jump shot for him.

“He had to shoot it. He was wide open.”

On the next series, Rasheed Wallace committed a turnover, but Glen Rice also lost it, and Portland immediately raced down court, the ball found Sabonis, and he did not find the basket, with the ball deflected first by Harper and then swatted away by Bryant.

No foul was called.

“That’s a reward for Ron, especially when they’ve been leaving him this series with open shots, to hit a shot that counted,” Jackson said of the game-winning shot. (BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Western Conference Finals / Game 3

Sunday

GAME 4

LAKERS AT PORTLAND

12:30 p.m., Channel 4

*

GAME 3, MOST POINTS

Lakers

Shaquille O’Neal, 26

Trail Blazers

Wallace and Stoudamire, 19

*

GAME 3, MOST REBOUNDS

Lakers

Shaquille O’Neal, 12

Trail Blazers

Scottie Pippen, 9

*

GAME 3, MOST ASSISTS

Lakers

Kobe Bryant, 7

Trail Blazers

Scottie Pippen, 6

By The Numbers

Points for Shaquille O’Neal in first quarter: 0

Minute of rest combined for O’Neal (48 minutes) and Kobe Bryant (47) in Game 3

Points for Bryant in Games 1 and 2 combined: 26

Points for Bryant in Game 3: 25

Laker road record in the 2000 playoffs: 2-3

*

COVERAGE

SHAQ’S PITCH

O’Neal has switched his endorsements from cola, fast food and sneakers to the new world of Internet and e-commerce. A1

THAT HAD TO HURT

Portland had the homecourt edge going into the game and a fast start in the first quarter. Then it all fell apart in the Rose Garden. S3

THE RESERVES

The Trail Blazers get most of the acclaim for their depth, but Rick Fox and his friends on the Laker bench made a difference in this game. S4

GAME REPORT, S2

INSIGHTS, S4

The Big Turnaround

The Lakers, behind 55-45 at halftime, outscored the Trail Blazers 38-19 over the next 16 1/2 minutes to take an 83-74 lead with 7:31 left in the game. How the Lakers did it:

* Scored 13 points after Trail Blazer turnovers.

* Scored 10 points after offensive rebounds.

* Scored 10 points (five-of-12 shooting) after defensive rebounds or Trail Blazer baskets or free throws.

* Made five free throws in seven attempts.

Note: The Lakers had five of their 11 offensive rebounds and the Trail Blazers had seven of their 15 turnovers in the 16 1/2 minute span.