Lakers Make Low Profile Their Theme

In the crowded hallway, outside a locker room where teammates stayed behind to explain one of the worst offensive games in Los Angeles Laker history, the heart of the offense strolled by, jaws set, expressions distant.

Kobe Bryant muttered, “I’m gone,” and did not look back. Shaquille O’Neal holed up in the mascot’s dressing room with Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy for several minutes--details were sketchy there--then reappeared and said, “I ain’t got nothing to say, brother.”

And then they were, indeed, gone, away from this 84-74 defeat at the hands of the very average Houston Rockets on Tuesday night at Compaq Center.

In four decades in Los Angeles, the Lakers have never scored fewer than 74 points. Twice before they scored 74, once 10 years ago at Cleveland and again five years ago against Denver. But never with Shaq in the middle. Never with Kobe on the wing. Never with Coach Phil Jackson drawing triangles on his clipboard and pounding them with his forefinger, begging this team to run the offense they practice every day.

O’Neal scored a season-low 24 points on eight-of-19 shooting. Bryant scored 15 points, four in the second half.

Beyond that, beyond 28 total field goals, 19 turnovers, another awful perimeter-shooting game and getting outrebounded by 10, the Lakers were plain stagnant. They did not play hard and they did not look for their teammates.

“That was a pretty pathetic basketball game,” Jackson said. “We just didn’t work well or convert well.

“We just didn’t make good plays tonight. We made too many turnovers. We took the rhythm out of our game. Guys got uncomfortable and self-conscious out there.”

Afterward, the complaints varied. All of them were accurate, though.

“We were totally outplayed,” guard Ron Harper said. “If we would have stolen this game, it would have been unfair. We have to play like a team and share the ball. Until then, we’re going to play like this. We stunk. Point blank.”

They missed from there too.

For another game, the opposing defense crowded O’Neal. This time it was the aging Hakeem Olajuwon and a handful of others. Jackson contended the officials “let Olajuwon hang all over Shaq, he was laying all over the top of him, fouling him, it was ridiculous.”

Still, O’Neal missed more than a few shots he typically makes. He took three shots in the third quarter and missed them all. The Lakers scored 15 points in the quarter, allowing the Rockets to hold a six-point lead.

“In the third quarter, the team got in a funk out there,” Jackson said. “They got into an emotional tussle with each other. They didn’t know whether to go inside or go to Shaq or go screen-and-roll or what they were trying to get accomplished out there. We tried to smooth it out a little and get a rhythm in our offense. We never could.”

The Lakers actually pulled to within 76-73 with two minutes left and then watched numbly as the Rockets made all eight of their free-throw attempts. At the same time, Bryant took a poor shot and missed, Brian Shaw missed a three-point attempt, Rick Fox threw a bad pass and time ran out with Isaiah Rider dribbling at halfcourt.

So, as the young Rockets literally danced on the floor behind them, the Lakers shuffled across the court. Steve Francis, who scored 23 points for the Rockets, joyfully jabbed at the air. The crowd stood and cheered. The Rockets raised their arms and hugged each other.

The Lakers probably knew this was coming. They’ve spent most of the season’s first 10 days merely dallying in the offense, and not really running it. Other than O’Neal, they’ve been stiff or wild, depending on the possession. A loss to Utah, on ring night, could be explained. This, 74 points in Houston, a loss the night before they get San Antonio, could not. This, apparently, was too difficult to explain, for at least two of them.

“We don’t like losing,” Fox said. “There’s a certain pride that comes with being champion. When you stink up the gym, there’s a sense of embarrassment and a sense of responsibility. We’re not going to defend our championship like this down the road.”

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Remember the Alamo

The Spurs were the only team in the NBA to post a winning record against the Lakers last season.

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Category Statistic Won-loss record 1-3 Average score 89.5-99.8 Laker field goal pct. .399* Laker free throw pct. .656 Laker three-point pct. .143*

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*--Represents lowest against any opponent.

TONIGHT

Lakers at San Antonio

5 PST. TV--Channel 9, TNT

Also

Spurring Them On

Phil Jackson won’t take back what he said about San Antonio’s 1999 championship, although the Laker coach doesn’t want to put too much importance on tonight’s game. D8

Cutting Them Down

Shawn Marion scored 23 points to lead five Phoenix players in double figures as the Suns knocked the Spurs from the ranks of the unbeaten, 100-81. D7