Laker Duo Projects Harmony

Minnesota’s Flip Saunders did not know what to expect. As a coach in the Western Conference, he’s had to go up against the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant plenty of times, but coaching them in an NBA All-Star game?

Saunders figured that would be an experience all by itself.

After all, the Timberwolves’ coach has heard the same rumors as everyone else, especially the one claiming that the two players truly despise each other.

So what did Saunders get? Nothing but harmony.

“I thought they were great,” Saunders said. “I know there’s been a lot of criticism out here about them [not playing together], but I’ve never felt that way.... If you don’t know how to work together and play the game of basketball, you’re not going to be very good. That’s not the case with them.”

Although O’Neal was not in the starting lineup with Bryant, he and his Laker teammate looked for each other as soon as he entered the game with 5:17 remaining in the first quarter.

O’Neal had been on the floor for less than two minutes when Bryant passed to the Laker big man for a power dunk. And Bryant kept on looking for O’Neal, who had six points and four rebounds in the first quarter.

By halftime, Saunders mentioned to his Western Conference All-Stars that they needed to be more selfish.

“I told the guys that they were worrying about the other guy too much,” Saunders said. “They were better off if they just played basketball.”

However, it was more of the same in the second half for O’Neal and Bryant.

After O’Neal replaced Yao Ming at the 7:33 mark of the third quarter, the members of the Laker duo continued to go out of their way to make plays for each other, especially Bryant, who tried to hook up with O’Neal for one play after another, even though some did not connect.

“I sure couldn’t tell if there was anything wrong,” said Houston guard Steve Francis, a Western Conference teammate of O’Neal and Bryant. “They were doing a lot of things together. A lot of give-and-go stuff.

“To me, the stuff between them has just been blown out of proportion.”

From the start of the game, Bryant was one of the more vocal players on the floor, and also one of the most aggressive on the defensive end. That was evident in the third quarter when Bryant and O’Neal made a defensive play together that showed they were longtime teammates.

With Bryant defending New Jersey’s Jason Kidd, he forced the Net point guard to the baseline, where he ran smack into O’Neal, who completed the defensive double-team. Without anyplace to go, Kidd turned the ball over, just like they draw it up in a Defense 101 class.

Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett, who like Saunders was eliminated by the Lakers in last season’s playoffs, said players around the league don’t question O’Neal and Bryant’s togetherness when they are on the court.

“What most people don’t understand,” Garnett said, “is that through the course of a season, you have your ups and downs and regardless of what kind of ups and downs they have been through, they get on that court, they are on the same page.

“Nine times out of 10, that’s all that matters. Both of them are all about winning. The stuff that is off the court stays there. Whenever they step on the court, it’s all business and you have to anticipate that every time you play the Lakers.”

In the fourth quarter, Saunders really got a chance to see the drive of the Laker duo.

O’Neal scored six of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter; Bryant had six points, two steals and an assist.

With the score close, Bryant lured a group of defenders to him on the right side of the court before passing to O’Neal, who cut to the basket for another dunk.

“I was just so impressed with Kobe’s passion for the game,” Saunders said. “He was suggesting plays and pick-and-roll sets with everyone. The pass he made [to O’Neal] was just great. He found him all alone down the middle of the lane.”