Lakers Go Quietly in the Second Half

Shaquille O’Neal put a gray stocking cap on his head and pulled a black leather jacket, the one with the Superman logo on the back, over his shoulders.

Then he lowered a pair of headphones over his ears and waded through the locker room, to the bus, to an airplane that would take him home.

He would not talk about the Lakers’ 111-103 defeat Saturday night at the Delta Center against a Utah Jazz team that still had its legs long after the Lakers had lost theirs. He would not talk about the scuffle he had with Olden Polynice, or the scowls he aimed at Greg Ostertag. Or, for that matter, his 30 points, 12 rebounds, and suddenly smoother free-throw stroke.

He was just gone, away from the Lakers’ second loss in three games, to a team that had lost four of its last five home games, away from a team they had beaten 10 days before, by 11 points.

He left it all a mystery, which makes sense these days, because the Laker season has become the same--a strange little stroll through dynamic victories, unfathomable defeats and all of their delicate psyches, along with the occasional bit of defense.

Horace Grant looked back over it and sighed.

“We need to form some identity with this ballclub,” Grant said. “If we’re going to lose all of them, let’s lose all of them. Then we’ll have the identity of a loser. If we’re going to win most of them, all of them, then we’ll have an identity of a winner. Let’s get some type of identity. At my age, I can’t go up and down like this. It’ll give me a heart attack.”

O’Neal, though, wouldn’t explain any of it. Too bad, really, given his third consecutive game of 30 points or more, his second consecutive game of making half his free throws or more. The Lakers are 24-12, only three defeats short of last season’s total with still three months to play, but O’Neal appears to be finding his game, his anger, his strength. Maybe he believes he has talked enough in the last week, which might be true. Everyone has, probably.

“He played relatively well,” Laker Coach Phil Jackson said.

Meantime, the Lakers went to pieces in the third quarter, when the Jazz took a three-point halftime lead and made it a 12-point lead in about five minutes. They were never closer than six points after that, primarily because Polynice, Donyell Marshall and Karl Malone crowded O’Neal down the stretch, and the Laker shots ricocheted all over Salt Lake City. The Lakers made 13 of 34 field-goal attempts after halftime, and the Jazz worked their pick-and-roll thing. So, Malone scored 20 points and John Stockton scored 21, in the place where superstars symbolize symbiosis, pardon the alliteration. John Starks scored 21 points, a season high.

“We were flat, no other answer,” Laker guard Ron Harper said. “Some nights it happens. Some nights it doesn’t. Tonight was one of those nights we didn’t.”

Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, but made eight of 24 shots. That’s 18 for 49 over two games and two nights, and afterward he admitted his left elbow--which got in the way of Mark Madsen’s skull in a recent practice--was sore.

“I’m feeling OK,” Bryant said.

O’Neal appeared to enjoy his evening as the villain. Halfway through the third quarter, after already jawing with Polynice and Ostertag earlier in the game, O’Neal was fouled hard from behind by Polynice. Polynice held on too long and O’Neal shrugged him off. Then they pushed each other, a courtside photographer was squished, a referee was grabbed, but there did not appear to be a punch.

Polynice was charged with a flagrant foul, and both were given technical fouls. O’Neal made his second free throw and hung his wrist up high as he walked down the lane. The Lakers were down, 71-60.

“Maybe he thought I hit him too hard,” Polynice said. “But I’ve got to play what I can. So, to me, it’s something that happened within those four feet and that’s where it’s going to stay.

“I was going to let him know that I wasn’t backing down from him. If you’re a man, you’ve got to stand up for yourself and that’s the bottom line, within reason. You know, I’m not saying a guy should go out there swinging at people and pulling a knife or whatever.”

The Lakers are 1-2 against Utah. They are 1-2 against Portland. They are 1-1 against San Antonio.

It’s a mystery.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Knowing the Score

How Lakers have fared in games Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal have been the team’s leading scorers:

2000-01

First 36 Games (Laker Record 24-12)

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Bryant O’Neal Games as Leading Scorer 19 15 Win-Loss Record 15-4 7-8 Season Scoring Average 29.6 26.2

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Note: Bryant and O’Neal shared the leading point total once, a victory. Horace Grant was the leading scorer in one game, a victory.

1999-2000

First 36 Games, With Bryant Sidelined First 10

(Laker Record 31-5)

*--*

Bryant O’Neal Games as Leading Scorer 6 26 Win-Loss Record 6-0 23-3 Season Scoring Average 22.6 28.1

*--*

Note: Bryant and O’Neal shared the leading point total once, a loss. Glen Rice was the leading scorer three times in which the Lakers had a 2-1 record.

1999-2000

First 36 Games Bryant, O’Neal Played Together

(Laker Record 29-7)

*--*

Bryant O’Neal Games as Leading Scorer 8 26 Win-Loss Record 7-1 22-4 Season Scoring Average 22.6 28.6

*--*

Note: Bryant and O’Neal shared the leading point total once, a loss. Glen Rice was the leading scorer once, a loss.

ATLANTA: 108

CLIPPERS: 88

Lorenzen Wright scored 28 as Hawks won easily. D6

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BRYANT, O’NEAL SET THE PACE

The game has rarely seen such a family feud out in the open. D7