O’Neal Will Remember the Alamo

Eventually, they’ll play the games--the first two over a long weekend in San Antonio--the Lakers and Spurs, Western Conference titans, the last two NBA champions, in a best-of-seven series for the right to club whichever team comes out of the East.

Until then, there are questions. And there is talk.

Depending on where one stood Tuesday afternoon at the practice facility in El Segundo, where Laker players were scattered over the gym floor, the conference finals will turn on the defenses, on the offenses, on the referees, on the shooters, on the superstars and on the supporting casts, in no real order.

So, on San Antonio’s defense, on the Laker offense, on San Antonio’s illegal defense, on Rick Fox and Derek Fisher, on Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson and Kobe Bryant, and on whomever plays when those guys aren’t allowed to play.

There’s a lot to this already, including an explanation/clarification/apology from Laker Coach Phil Jackson regarding the asterisk he affixed to the Spurs’ 1999 short-season championship--Jackson explained that in January 1999, before the beginning of the lockout-shortened season, he told the Chicago Bulls that he wasn’t interested in coaching in a condensed season and that an asterisk should accompany that season’s champion--a prediction that injured Kobe defender Derek Anderson would return later in the series, and an insulted O’Neal, who placed a distant third in Tuesday’s most-valuable-player voting.

There’s Horace Grant guarding his second consecutive MVP candidate, and 6-foot-4-ish Antonio Daniels tailing Bryant, and the specter of as many as four games in the Alamodome, which won’t make the Lakers feel any better.

Derek Fisher got all of that. Then handed it all to O’Neal.

“To me, winning in San Antonio falls on Shaquille,” he said. “He won’t like me saying that, and I’m glad he’s not close by, but I feel like his energy, his thrust, his power, his dominance is the only way that we win in San Antonio. Without his power inside, we’re almost useless against a team that presents two big guys in the middle like that. So, it presents a unique challenge for him, where he’s in a position I feel like he needs to carry us and the rest of us will follow.”

The Lakers have lost four of their last five regular-season games in San Antonio, and six of their last seven there overall, including the sweep in the second round of the 1999 playoffs. O’Neal averaged 17.5 points in two games at the Alamodome this season, in part because he shot only 30 times, and in part, perhaps, because he attended high school in San Antonio.

“I don’t particularly like the success that he’s had in San Antonio,” Fisher said. “I’m sure it’s difficult. A lot of times, when someplace is home, or if you used to call it home, there’s more pressure to perform. I think it presents a difficult challenge for him because I’m sure he feels like it’s two against one. We all feel that’s unfair. But, I think Shaq is now in a position where he’s above allowing peripheral things to distract him or take him off where he wants to be.”

In seven playoff games, O’Neal has averaged 30.6 points, a tick behind Bryant’s 30.7, and 16.6 rebounds. Those numbers went through immobile Arvydas Sabonis and friends, and through overmatched Vlade Divac and friends.

Duncan and Robinson, at the base of what Jackson called a 1-2-2 zone, are much more than anything O’Neal faced in the first two series.

“I think Shaquille has to accept what is about to come,” forward Fox said. “In other words, he’s not going to get any help from anywhere. The only help he’s going to get is from us, his teammates. So, knowing that, he’s going to have to play through a lot of physical play from their big men. Horace is not a 7-footer that he can rely on to shoulder some of the rebounding responsibilities. This is going to be Shaq’s show. It’s two on one. If he’s ever going to be Superman, he’s got to be Superman now.”

Two years ago, before Jackson had arrived and before Bryant’s game had developed and before the arrival of Grant, a legitimate power forward, the Lakers played this same series. They barely slowed the Spurs, who went on to win the NBA title.

“He’s been faced with this before,” Fox said. “And got swept. The system we have now is way better suited for him to play two guys like that, because then we can get him the ball in numerous different places on the floor where they’re not able to zone in on him and be as effective defensively. I think he definitely feels more comfortable knowing it.”

O’Neal will start off guarding Robinson. If O’Neal stays clear of foul trouble, he’ll get more of Duncan later in games.

“It’s going to be a great series,” Jackson said. “Shaq has not historically played great down in San Antonio, simply because it’s his home and there are a variety of things that happen down there that distract him.

“This is a series where you’ve got big players on both sides. Both of them [commit] offensive fouls--Tim Duncan and Shaq, at times. They’re stand-up teams, both of them. We’re going to have a battle that’s going to be befitting of teams that are champions in the last two years in the NBA.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

LAKERS vs. SAN ANTONIO

The schedule for the best-of-seven Western Conference

finals. All times Pacific:

GAME 1--SATURDAY

at San Antonio

3:30 p.m., Channel 4

GAME 2--MONDAY

at San Antonio

5:30 p.m., Channel 9

GAME 3--MAY 25

at Lakers

6 p.m., Channel 4

GAME 4--MAY 27

at Lakers

2:30 p.m., Channel 4

GAME 5--MAY 29

at San Antonio

6 p.m., Channel 4*

GAME 6--JUNE 1

at Lakers

Time TBA, Channel 4*

GAME 7--JUNE 3

at San Antonio

Time TBA, Channel 4*

* if necessary

ALSO

CHARLOTTE: 94

MILWAUKEE: 86

Charlotte leads series, 3-2

COVERAGE, D6