They’re Preparing to Really Defend Title

The Lakers did not practice Friday afternoon, Phil Jackson allowing everyone a migraine day before they get down to the grave business of defending their consecutive NBA titles.

Besides, Jackson has grown reasonably pleased with their willingness to play defense, an eight-game trend in which the Lakers have allowed an average of 89.1 points and a field-goal percentage of 40.6%.

That includes the New Jersey Nets shooting 50% (86 attempts) on April 3, but also the Portland Trail Blazers’ Scottie Pippen shooting 11.1% (18 attempts) on March 29, by himself balancing the statistical anomaly.

At this point, Jackson would rather save their legs and minds than press them further, the way he often leans in matters of rest versus grind. The Lakers practice today and fly this afternoon to Portland, where they’ll play the Trail Blazers on Sunday afternoon, a week before the divergent franchises could meet in the first round.

The Lakers are winning again because they no longer seem reluctant to defend. Indeed, they often remind themselves that it not only helped them to win championships, but carried those playoff runs, particularly when Shaquille O’Neal was spry.

“My take on it,” assistant coach Jim Cleamons said, “is that they have finally decided to play better defense.”

Why now? The calendar. It’s April, the fur coats and black Mercedes are stored, the gray Mercedes and the defensive slides and attitudes come out.

“They have realized they have to raise their game,” Cleamons said. “And they have made a conscious effort to focus just a bit more. They’re expending more energy and I think they’re being more conscientious of their roles.... You’ve seen guys playing a little harder. They’ve heightened their state of alertness. They obviously didn’t have the energy to do it for 82 games.”

Few teams do, but more is expected of the defending champions, particularly when they spent the first fifth of the season on a 75-win pace. A lot has happened since, including the complications in O’Neal’s toe and wrist. Everybody looks better when he’s going well, and he’s been reasonably healthy for a week, at least enough to promise George Mikan 45 points Thursday.

It reflects first in their defense, where already they rank first in field-goal percentage allowed, both on two- and three-point attempts, even with O’Neal at half-speed.

“This time of year you start to anticipate the emotion level that’s a part of late-season and postseason action,” Derek Fisher said.

The Minnesota Timberwolves shot 33.3% on Thursday and the Utah Jazz shot 32.1% on Tuesday, and they’re both going to the playoffs.

Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Friday he is satisfied that Jackson handled O’Neal’s absence from Wednesday’s practice properly, and that he suspects O’Neal will have perfect attendance in the future.

The club was told O’Neal had a migraine and a stomach affliction, but Jackson fined O’Neal anyway. O’Neal attended a business function in Las Vegas later Wednesday.

“It’s been addressed,” Kupchak said. “It happened, it wasn’t overlooked, it wasn’t permissible, and he was fined. It’s done.”

Tim Brown

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*--* What’s Left Remaining Laker games: DAY OPPONENT LAKER RECORD SUNDAY at Portland 2-1 MONDAY Seattle at Staples 2-1 WEDNESDAY Sacramento at Staples 2-1

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