Flaky Lakers Get Win

As he came out to discuss Thursday night’s game at Gund Arena, Phil Jackson asked a reporter if it was snowing outside.

It was, he was told.

“It was also pretty deep on the court tonight the way we floundered around,” the Laker coach said.

That they did. Outrebounded, 51-30, and guilty of a less-than-artistic effort for much of the night, the Lakers nevertheless managed to pound out a 104-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in front of a sellout crowd of 20,562.

Ron Harper, the former Laker who lives in the area and was a spectator Thursday, called the Laker performance “lethargic.”

He got no argument from his former coach.

“That’s probably the best analysis,” Jackson said

“How we managed to win and keep the tempo in our favor,” Laker guard Kobe Bryant said, “I don’t understand. I’ll have to look at the tapes.”

What he’ll see is a lot of himself and Shaquille O’Neal putting the ball through the basket.

When you have two of the best scorers in the league, and they account for 61% of your points, you can overcome a little lethargy. Bryant scored 32 points and O’Neal 31 as the Lakers opened a five-game trip by breaking their three-game losing streak, the longest they’ve had in the Jackson era.

The Lakers improved to 36-16 despite the fact O’Neal had only four rebounds, including one in 19 minutes in the second half. And despite the fact the Lakers were beaten on the offensive boards, 15-8. And despite the fact Bryant converted only six of 11 free-throw attempts.

On the plus side, the Lakers had only five turnovers after committing 21 in their previous game against the Boston Celtics.

“What you make up at one end of the court, you lose at the other,” Jackson said.

But this was about more than numbers. This was about emotion and motivation. It’s February and, at 18-35, the Cavaliers are thinking more about spring tee times than playoff time. A chance to bump off the two-time defending champions was one of the few things they had left.

For the Lakers, it’s more about keeping their powder dry and their sights on the bigger battles come April, May and, they hope, June.

“We come to town and teams view this as the big game,” Bryant said. “We don’t view it as that big a game.”

Or, as Jackson put it, “Our players are not willing to give up their reserve energy until it’s time. And it’s almost time.”

The perception around the league seems to be that, as was the case last season, the talented Lakers will be able to flick a switch and be at peak form when it becomes playoff time.

“I’m glad people think that so they will be worried about us,” forward Robert Horry said. “But I don’t think we can allow ourselves to get in that frame of mind. Because some nights it’s just not going to click for us.”

Most nights, it doesn’t click for Cleveland.

“I am about winning basketball games,” Cavalier Coach John Lucas said. “And I am not enjoying this.”

Cleveland was led by former Clipper Lamond Murray, who had 23 points, and Ricky Davis, who scored 19.

Tyrone Hill was the major force on the boards for Cleveland with 14 rebounds. Bryant and Horry led the Lakers with six each.

The biggest Laker lead was 11 points. Every time they seemed ready to put Cleveland away, they let the Cavaliers back into the game by allowing them inside to get a rebound or permitting them to roam free for open jumpers.

The Lakers led, 26-20, after one quarter, 53-44, at the half and 83-78 after three quarters. Always ahead. Never secure.

“You go into a game trailing with teams like Utah and the Lakers, and it takes a while to catch up and a lot of energy,” Cavalier guard Andre Miller said. “We burned our energy coming back and had nothing left when it got close.”

At the end of the third quarter, with the Lakers clinging to a three-point advantage, Bryant, with a defender in his face, took a fadeaway jumper from 16 feet.

It swished as the buzzer sounded.

“Betcha they count that one,” he said with a big grin as he raced by the press table, referring to his game-ending shot Tuesday night against the Celtics that was ruled too late to count, costing his team a victory.

When it was over Thursday, Bryant was still smiling.

“It was just one of those nights where we really couldn’t get loose,” Bryant said, “and we managed to win anyway. We’ll take an ugly win.”