A Sweeping Giant

Scottie Pippen’s face was in the Laker locker room, on the television set hanging from the ceiling, saying something about beating back the Lakers despite his own misfortune, and the misfortune of his team and his town.

The Lakers wouldn’t play to sweep the Portland Trail Blazers for another hour, so Kobe Bryant sat at the far end of the room, watching his onetime idol and current antagonist measure Laker momentum against Trail Blazer fight.

Bryant stood, shook his head and walked straight through the room.

“You’re . . . crazy, man,” Bryant said to the television set, to Pippen’s dull eyes. “Today’s your last day of work.”

A couple of Lakers chuckled lightly, nodded their heads. And so it was. Back from the dread that they might never become the team they were a season ago, the Lakers were 99-86 winners Sunday afternoon at the Rose Garden and so swept the Trail Blazers in three efficient, convincing efforts. Winners of 11 consecutive games, the Lakers will play the winner of the Sacramento-Phoenix series in the Western Conference semifinals; Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday at Staples Center.

With one last grunt, the Lakers swept their first playoff series in 10 years. Their in-season difficulties suddenly seem at least that distant, particularly as Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal suffered through so-so shooting games, forcing them to hold tight and trustingly to the players around them.

O’Neal scored 25 points and took 15 rebounds and Bryant, who played again with sore ribs, had 22 points and a career-playoff-best nine assists. Point guard Derek Fisher played his third consecutive game without a turnover, scored 17 points and had eight rebounds. Rick Fox scored 13 points.

It was how they vanquished the Trail Blazers, saddled with talent even in the absences of Bonzi Wells (injured), Dale Davis (suspended) and Stacey Augmon (suspended). Portland built its team to excess with the Lakers in mind, got the Lakers, and was doomed by its own roster lavishness and emotional instability. Rasheed Wallace missed 15 of 19 shots. Pippen missed 10 of 13. Steve Smith and Damon Stoudamire each scored 25 points, but stood no chance when the Lakers pressed their advantages in rebounding and, yes, defense.

“They are a monster,” Portland Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “That’s why they won it last year and that’s why they have a good shot at doing it again this year.

“I don’t know if there is anybody that has an opportunity to really beat them. Certainly San Antonio is one of those teams, maybe there are only a couple of teams that have the chance to do it, and they would have to play at a high level in order to do it.”

The demise of the Trail Blazers, and their imminent vacation, became Bryant’s theme. In the fourth quarter, when the once-game Trail Blazers lost their grip and appeared to quit, Bryant tumbled out of bounds near their bench. He pulled himself up, looked over to no one in particular and said, “This is your last day at the office.”

The Lakers, many of them anyway, believe they are playing at least to the level of last year’s champions.

“We may be a little better,” Bryant said. “I think our confidence might be a little higher, our confidence and our ability to execute. We might be a little better especially mentally.”

“Um, I wouldn’t argue,” Dunleavy said sadly. “They kicked our butts.”

One final day of whine and Rose Garden for the Trail Blazers, who railed again at the referees about O’Neal, despite their constant double-teams. Midway through the third quarter the Lakers led, 67-66. Fisher made a three-point shot, initiating a 20-8 run. With three minutes gone in the fourth quarter, Fisher made another three, giving the Lakers an 87-74 lead.

“That was a statement,” Fisher said, “to start the playoffs with a sweep. This shows a lot of growth for our team over last year, when they took us to seven games. The Lakers are playing together and Portland wasn’t, because of numerous reasons.”

On their way to last year’s championship, the Lakers lost six games just like this one--with an opponent reeling, doubting itself, wondering where it would find the muscle to match O’Neal, then winning anyway.

“I think we feel better about our game today,” Laker Coach Phil Jackson said, “especially after not playing very well.”

Here, in an arena that booed its own, in a town gray from disappointment, and playing in the face of resignation, the Lakers took 50 rebounds to the Trail Blazers’ 42. They went to the floor after loose balls. They put their $100 shoes on the Trail Blazers’ $89.7-million necks.

“As the defending champs, we’re the team to beat,” O’Neal said. “I’m not going to say anything that will inspire anyone else we will meet in the playoffs.

“[But] at the end of the season, we had to return to what we did earlier in league play to get ready for the playoffs. We’re doing good. Over the last 10 to 12 games, we’ve gained a lot of confidence.”

Afterward, the Lakers boarded a gray bus that returned them to their hotel. They gathered their belongings, checked out, and left Portland, and a lot of misfortune, behind.