There’s No Run Left in Laker Legs

Derek Fisher might have noticed that Shaquille O’Neal had his late-March, back-to-back legs, that the massive center’s feet and knees were sore and tired, that it was all O’Neal could do to drag Jake Tsakalidis up and down the floor, for heaven’s sake.

Fisher might have, if he hadn’t had his own problems, mainly Jason Kidd, not to mention his own fatigue and the responsibility for an offense that went flat on a night it really could have used Kobe Bryant.

After the Lakers lost, 104-83, to the Phoenix Suns on Monday night at America West Arena, Fisher, their defensive conscience, stood up and told them all he was sorry, but he just didn’t have it tonight.

That they didn’t all rise up and do the same spoke more for an idling bus and a coach impatient to get out of town than for a general lack of accountability. Uninspired, the Lakers made a season-low 26 field goals, 18 of them from their starting five, and allowed 60 first-half points.

“Whoa,” Phil Jackson said. “That was a painful night.”

Asked for an explanation, Jackson cracked a smile and said, “We’re not on national TV,” a reference to the Lakers’ knack for rising up when awash in the spotlight, and for recoiling when the atmosphere isn’t so lively.

While Bryant rested his strained left ankle for a third consecutive game, O’Neal labored through 41 minutes, scored 27 points, took 12 rebounds and committed six turnovers, matching his season-high. The Lakers did not stop Shawn Marion, who scored 27 points, or Kidd, who had 22 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

The Lakers were pressured into bad decisions and quick shots, or quick decisions and bad shots, depending on the possession.

“I didn’t feel like I gave a great effort,” said Fisher, otherwise a commanding presence in his nine games back. “I tried hard. Without Kobe, we need guys to step up. I feel like I failed to do that tonight.”

His was not the only long face in a quiet locker room. O’Neal pulled ice bags from his knees, wandered in from the trainer’s room, grimaced and said, “My knees. My knees and my feet.”

He said it wasn’t serious. Just sore. Just tired.

Horace Grant made two field goals and had three rebounds in 24 minutes. Brian Shaw scored three points in 38 minutes. Trying to rally a second consecutive game from a large deficit, the Lakers scored 16 fourth-quarter points, and were outrebounded, 44-35.

“Just energy,” Grant said. “We just need to be a little more determined, especially on the defensive end. We played tired.”

The prosperity lasted for nearly 24 hours. These days the Lakers spend as much time falling off the top of the Pacific Division as they do gaining on it.

The momentum drawn from one remarkable fourth quarter in Sacramento turned out not to be momentum at all, for it was gone in one half, against an organization that has provided little competition for the Lakers.

The Lakers had won seven consecutive games against the Suns, 11 of 12 counting the playoffs, and 18 of 21 in the regular season overall. Then the Suns began scoring at will, leading by six in the first quarter, by 20 in the second quarter and by 22 in the third. The Lakers missed Bryant’s points to start, but by the end they surely missed his ability to stand opposite Kidd, or even Marion, as a defensive presence.

“We needed another athlete on the floor who could keep up with those guys,” Fisher said.

The Lakers played their worst game since, oh, Atlanta.

Seven days before.

The Suns had not played since Friday, so they spent the weekend preparing for the Lakers and mulling the last time the Lakers were here. The Lakers beat them, 115-78, on Dec. 28, Phoenix’s worst loss at America West.

Monday, the Suns won their fourth consecutive game.

With 11 games until the playoffs, the Lakers still aren’t there.

Jackson crossed his left leg over his right knee, shouted gravely instructions, and snapped at the referees, but soon put his chin in his hand. These games have happened before for the Lakers, and there no longer seems a way around them, not if O’Neal is off his game and Bryant is injured and the guys across the floor seem so dang inspired. The Lakers have no good answer for that, three weeks now from the playoffs.

“[Shaq] had some easy shots he usually makes,” Grant said. “But, it was a team effort, of not giving effort. When you don’t have one of your superstars and the other is not having a good game, you’re talking about more than half of your offense right there. And we haven’t been playing good defense.”

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