Finally, the Real Work Can Begin

The goal never changed, but the resistance now has a face. Many faces, actually.

This morning, for the first time since they eliminated the San Antonio Spurs eight days ago, the Lakers will steer their cars into the lot on Nash Street with a real opponent for the NBA finals.

Rested, confident and, if they are to be believed in regard to Shaquille O’Neal’s ankle, healthy, the Lakers will have two days to prepare for the Philadelphia 76ers, seventh-game winners in the Eastern Conference finals, played Sunday evening between Kobe Bryant commercials.

In case this has all seemed too easy, and at times it has felt like the longest pre-finals coronation since anyone played the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl, the 76ers were 1-1 against the Lakers in the regular season. These Lakers are different than those Lakers, of course, but if they are vulnerable, it will be because of the interminable layoff.

They did not practice Sunday, and were sent off Saturday by Laker Coach Phil Jackson with a few things to keep in mind.

“We have to find a rhythm next week, when we get back to business,” he said.

“On Monday come ready to pay attention to what we have to do. Watch the game [Sunday]. Think about your own part in the opponent we’re going to face, and when you come in Monday we’ll have lots ready for you to digest and absorb.”

The Lakers practice today in El Segundo, then Tuesday at Staples Center. In those practices, Jackson said, he’ll give the team about eight offensive ideas within the triangle and set up the defense, particularly in regard to Allen Iverson.

And while it would be difficult to stay mentally sharp after so much time off, Jackson said, he’d expect the players to snap back today.

“They’ll have a taste for it,” he said. “With both these teams there’s a certain sense of how we have to play and how difficult it will be, because we had some trouble with both of them through the year.

“It’s impossible to maintain that same sense of purpose when you’re four days away from the first game of the series.

“But, we’ll start to build that energy on Monday, especially when we know the opponent and we can start making plans.”

A year ago, Derek Fisher played through the playoffs with a sore foot, an injury eventually diagnosed as a stress fracture. His friend, Eric Snow, played through the Eastern Conference finals with a stress fracture in his ankle.

“I know Eric personally and I know how tough he is mentally,” Fisher said. “So, he’s definitely giving it all that he has. His situation is a little different than mine in terms of him having a pin inserted into his ankle. I just hope he can get some rest and get the thing corrected after the season.”

Snow is playing fewer minutes, but remains an inspiration to his teammates.

“That’s frustrating, to not be able to compete at the level you normally compete on,” Fisher said. “Eric’s done a great job of raising his level of play. It seems like every night he’s doing good things for their basketball team, and he’s playing with a lot of pain. That shows a lot of character and a lot of toughness.”

After three series in which the critical defensive matchups were in the front court, the Lakers get Iverson, who averaged 33.5 points in two regular-season meetings against the Lakers.

Bryant guarded him in those games, but that was before Fisher returned from the injured list. Iverson’s likely to see a lot of both.

“He’s a guy, once the ball’s in his hands, he’s probably going to shoot the basketball,” Jackson said. “There’s about an 80% chance he’s going to shoot the ball. What he’ll do with the basketball, he’ll find a way to get a rhythm with it. What we have to do is collectively push him into places on the floor where he’s not as comfortable. Allen’s a great shooter, but that’s not his strength. His strength is scoring.”

One win for the 76ers over one of the worst teams in basketball, and the Lakers would be packing for Philadelphia.

But, on the final day of the regular season, Philadelphia Coach Larry Brown rested Iverson and the 76ers were beaten by the dreadful Chicago Bulls, 92-86.

As a result, the 76ers and the Lakers finished with identical 56-26 overall records, and the Lakers won the tiebreaker because of their record against Eastern Conference teams.