Seattle’s Victory Keeps Lakers in Limbo

The Lakers haven’t learned a thing this week.

They still don’t know who they’ll face Sunday in the next round of the playoffs. And they can’t get an accurate read on their two potential opponents, because Wednesday’s 91-79 Seattle SuperSonics’ victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 didn’t reflect either team.

The Spurs had to play without their two 7-footers. Tim Duncan missed the game to be with his family after his father died, and David Robinson has been out since Game 1 because of a sore back. The results were predictably dismal. They trailed by as many as 28 points.

But a blowout victory at home against a depleted team doesn’t say much about the SuperSonics. They did what they were supposed to do. They did what any self-respecting team would have done if the Golden State Warriors magically appeared in their arena for the playoffs, which is basically what happened Wednesday.

Now it’s down to a winner-take-all Game 5 Friday in San Antonio. Whoever the Lakers get will be the greater of two lessers. It doesn’t matter which one of these teams they play, they won’t play more than two home games. They’re better off not winning the Western Conference, because that would have brought them the red-hot Dallas Mavericks in the second round.

The Spurs’ skyline is altered, and without Robinson their whole approach is out of whack.

Robinson’s prospects don’t look good. As Spur Coach Gregg Popovich said when discussing Robinson’s availability for any potential upcoming games: “He’s doubtful for Friday. He’s doubtful for Sunday. He’s just doubtful. If it was looking good, he’d be here. He didn’t even make the trip.”

If Robinson does return to face the Lakers, a couple of games’ worth of poundings from Shaquille O’Neal should have him running to the chiropractor.

Ordinarily it would be fun to see if Duncan, who is expected to rejoin the Spurs for Game 5, could carry a team. It really isn’t fair to ask him to do that while still mourning the loss of his father.

Duncan always played with a detached efficiency. It probably has cost him endorsement opportunities over the years, but it might serve him well now.

“Tim Duncan is a mature young man, as we all know,” Popovich said. “I think he’ll be able to get back to the task at hand very quickly.”

Even if Duncan can ride to the rescue, the Spurs will then have to play Game 1 against the Lakers as their third game in their third city in five days. Not an ideal way to start a series against the well-rested champions.

But they might not even get the opportunity. The SuperSonics did win Game 2 at the Alamodome, so they are capable of winning in San Antonio.

Yes, the SuperSonics could advance to the second round while many fans are still trying to figure out what they’re doing in the playoffs in the first place.

Maybe this should stand as a tribute, once and for all, to Gary Payton.

As the SuperSonic public address announcer tells the fans during pregame introductions, it’s time to “Show your love for The Glove.”

Payton can weave his way through defenses, he can find the open man, he can make shots from all over the court and he can defend. Is there anything else you want from a point guard?

The only point guard in the playoffs who I’d consider taking ahead of Payton is Baron Davis. And I’m not taking any calls or e-mails on Jason Kidd. Would you rather have Payton or Kidd take a shot to win a game?

Payton had a triple-double Wednesday with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists

Payton is the main reason the SuperSonics have played the Lakers so well in recent seasons. Long before Ruben Patterson proclaimed himself the “Kobe Stopper”, Payton was the Kobe Killer, wearing out Kobe Bryant on offense and wrapping him up on defense. He reduced Kobe and Shaq to just Shaq, and not even O’Neal can do it all by himself.

Bryant closed the gap as he matured. And there have been signs that Payton is losing a half step defensively at age 33, even though he was just selected to the all-defensive team for the ninth consecutive time.

I had never seen Payton struggle defensively the way he did in Game 3 against Tony Parker. Parker went around him for 23 points. Payton’s dad, watching from the stands, pondered giving his son a whippin’.

Payton didn’t consume too much energy trying to shut down Parker in Game 4. He switched off screens and gave the duties to someone else, even if it meant Payton had to battle the likes of Malik Rose in the low post.

With the Spurs starting a frontline of Rose, Bruce Bowen and Mark Bryant (none taller than 6-foot-9), you might think Seattle’s 6-11 Vin Baker would see this as an opportunity to return to his All-Star form. That’s only if you hadn’t recognized how completely Krispy Kremey Baker has become. He didn’t go to the basket aggressively, he just spun and took fall-away jump shots and finished with 10 points.

But the SuperSonics didn’t have to pound the ball inside, not with Payton creating enough open spaces for them to make eight three-point baskets.

Vladimir Radmanovic made six of them, including all five he attempted in the first half.

Duncan had played every game for the Spurs the last two seasons, so they weren’t used to his absence.

With Robinson looking more and more ready for retirement and Duncan a free agent after next season, Game 4 could be a sneak peek of life without them for the Spurs. It wasn’t pretty. It looked like the Ghost of Christmas Future, giving Scrooge the bleak preview of what’s to come.

They didn’t have a viable low-post option. They missed that almost-instinctive high-low passing from Duncan to Robinson, or vice-versa. Without the big guys to draw in defenses the open three-point shots they enjoyed throughout the season were absent.