Seattle Leaves Lakers Empty

By TIM BROWN

March 12, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

So often now, someone other than a Laker is dynamic.

Desmond Mason, for instance, over everyone, to the rim, for the controversial points that would tie the score Sunday night. Gary Payton, then, for the points that would beat the Lakers in overtime.

So, the Seattle SuperSonics, unkempt and unsure of themselves for maybe 78 games this season, beat the Lakers, 109-97, at Staples Center for a four-game sweep of the defending champions. They might not go to the playoffs, but they’ll always have L.A.

The Lakers lost without Kobe Bryant, who was home sick. Shaquille O’Neal fouled out with more than five minutes to play in regulation and then blasted the officials for it. Robert Horry played three minutes and got himself ejected. And J.R. Rider still has two games left in his suspension.

In the meantime, the SuperSonics scored the last seven points of regulation and the first 11 of overtime. The Lakers have lost two in a row, both in overtime, for the first time since the end of January.

Coach Phil Jackson sat afterward, smirked and said, “As one of our coaches said, ‘We snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory tonight.’ ”

Which would have been funny if the Lakers weren’t in the process of snatching a first-round road series from the jaws of their NBA championship.

“We still have a shot to fix a lot of things,” Rick Fox said. “But, yeah, it’s discouraging right now, at this moment.”

The Lakers are on the verge of greatness, or they are on the brink of collapse.

Always, it seems, it is one or the other.

They are at each other’s throats, or they are falling into each other’s arms. They are winning with style, or losing flatly.

With one final shot at the SuperSonics, the Lakers rode O’Neal’s 29 points, Fox’s 18 points, three others in double figures, to the edge of a nice victory. As O’Neal sat glumly on the bench, however, Seattle rallied from a 93-86 deficit. Rashard Lewis made a three-point shot. Fox missed one. Payton made a layup. Mike Penberthy missed one.

Seattle scored the last two when Mason climbed over the backs of Mark Madsen and Brian Shaw and stuffed in the second of two missed free throws by Lewis.

Perhaps unnerved by the nearly loud Staples Center crowd, Lewis was short on both free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining. The second hung near the front of the rim, giving the 6-foot-5 Mason the time to cut in from the left of the lane and outjump Madsen and Shaw.

The Lakers screamed for an interference call. The SuperSonics jumped around happily. Later, the referees told Laker officials they never considered offensive goaltending. It was a marginal call, begging less for a replay than for an explanation of why the SuperSonics were that close to beating the Lakers.

“I knew I didn’t goaltend the ball because it came off right into my hand,” Mason said.

Jackson called it “tough to call.”

From 93-93, the SuperSonics buried the Lakers in overtime, leading 104-93 before the Lakers defended themselves. In their first three possessions of the overtime, the Lakers went turnover, forced three-pointer, forced three-pointer. In fact, their first five shots of the extra period were wayward threes.

“Who would think that we would sweep the Lakers?” Seattle Coach Nate McMillan said. “I think you need luck along the way. I think we got some breaks.”

Afterward, O’Neal could think of six. Offhand.

“I think these guys need to learn how to call a game a little bit better,” O’Neal said. “These NBA marketing people wonder why the game is losing ratings, wonder why the game is just going down. That was an awful job done by the three officials tonight. That was the worst. I’ve never had four offensive fouls in my life. Guys out there flopping, not following the rules. If they have a grudge against me, then they can’t do their job effectively. They shouldn’t be out there trying to make it even.”

Stu Jackson, administer of fines in the NBA, is calculating the payout right now.

“I don’t give a [darn],” O’Neal said. “[Forget] the fine. They stunk tonight. Especially the skinny head guy [Nolan Fine]. And no man can control me with money. I say what’s on my mind whenever I want.”

O’Neal actually was called for three offensive fouls, two by Fine. His fifth and sixth fouls were called within 12 seconds of each other. He left with the Lakers holding an 84-80 lead, which they stretched to seven points. It didn’t hold up.

Before the game, Jackson raised the jarring hypothesis that the Lakers would be better off without Bryant in this instance.

“Actually,” Jackson said, “it might be good. What they do is try to over-stimulate Kobe so he takes on their team.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

LAKERS

The Lakers lost for the first time in four games playing without Kobe Bryant this season:

Without With

RECORD

3-1 38-20

AVG. POINTS

104.3 109.7

OPP. AVG.

103.5 105.9