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Is it safe out there?

As series wears on, L.A. takes on 'tough guy' stance

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Posted: Monday June 19, 2000 12:35 PM

By John Donovan, CNNSI.com

	• Storylines • Hot Hands, Cold Feet • Bandwagon • Swishes & Bricks

This is a special edition of the NBA Week at a Glance. It will appear every day until the NBA Finals conclude.

LOS ANGELES -- It's probably safe to say that Rick Fox has seen more of Reggie Miller in the past couple weeks than he has of his wife.

It's probably safe to say that Fox, the closest thing that the Los Angeles Lakers have to an enforcer, isn't all that pleased with that fact.

It's also probably safe to say that those tidbits may be about the only safe things to say about the NBA Finals, which heat up to another boiling point Monday night in Game 6 in L.A.'s Staples Center.

Nothing else is safe anymore. Nothing.

"I have a problem," Fox was saying Sunday, "with individuals who choose to be brave when the setting is conducive to [them]."

SI's Marty Burns All along, the 2000 NBA Finals have really been about two things: keeping Shaquille O'Neal out of deep post position, and rebounding. In both of its victories, Indiana consistently kept Shaq from getting the ball right under the basket and won the battle on the boards. When the Pacers didn't do it, they lost. Here are a few other keys to watch in Game 6: Under Pressure : The Pacers have nothing to lose, and their freelance offense works better when they're "loosey-goosey," as Reggie Miller likes to say. It's one reason they are so good when playing with a lead. The Lakers must get off to a good start and not let the pressure mount against them. If it does, those foul shots will really start getting tough to hit. Inside-Out : Burned by Indiana's hot perimeter shooting in Game 5, L.A. is going to make a concerted effort to get out on the Pacers this time around. It should leave more room in the middle for Rik Smits, Dale Davis and even Mark Jackson. The Lakers are willing to bet those other guys won't beat them. Take it to Kobe : Watch how the Pacers take it at Kobe Bryant early in the game. They feel he has a tendency to try to do too much, and is prone to committing dumb fouls. Bryant must avoid the trap -- especially early - - or he won't be able to play as aggressively later in the game when it really counts.

Fox is especially hot about some of the shenanigans that went on during the Pacers' 120-87 win at Indy's Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday. According to Fox, the Pacers were rubbing it in and taking cheap shots at the Lakers when they were down.

Fox singled out Indiana's Reggie Miller, who he says gave him an elbow in the back during the latter stages of the rout.

"People choose to be brave at different times," Fox said, "and it's a lot easier to be brave at home, a lot easier to be brave when you're up 20."

The Finals are getting hot, all right, probably due to the fact that these teams are playing each other for the sixth straight time and so, so much is on the line.

The Lakers, too, are trying to overcome a couple of nasty reputations that they have. The first is that they can't put a team away when it's down, something that has been undeniably true throughout the playoffs.

The second bad rep the Lakers are trying to refute -- and this is something that has plagued them for years -- is that they are soft, a talented bunch of pretty puppies without any real bite.

That's where Fox steps in. And grabs. And butts. And does just about everything else he feels is necessary.

It's a role that Fox has taken upon himself, something that has grown through the years, he insists.

And one that is starting to get under the skin of the Pacers.

"We respect their team, but we don't necessarily have to like them," said Indiana's Dale Davis. "Whatever it takes for us to win, we're going to have to do it. If that's pushing, shoving, whatever the case may be, we'll be up for it."

There are those who think that Fox's antics, and this whole "We're tough" thing that he's into is all made up, a ruse to get the Lakers off their soft duffs.

The Lakers' veteran guard, Ron Harper, who has seen more than his share of posturing, is one of them.

"He ain't fighting nobody," Harper laughed.

Fox, an aspiring actor married to the singer Vanessa Williams, is definitely seen more as a pretty boy than a tough guy. But he's serious.

"When someone steps on the court and says they're willing to take whatever heat comes ... my whole attitude is do whatever it takes to win," he said. "We may not be the most physical team, but I'm probably one of the most physical players."

How that translates Monday night, when the stakes are even higher and the home crowd is stoking the Lakers, remains to be seen.

But is it safe?

No, it's not. Not even close.

On to the NBA Finals Day at a Glance, which on the day of Game 6 asks this: Is this the night?

The answer: If it isn't, say a prayer for the Lakers.

Who's More Desperate?
Is it the Pacers, who can't afford any more losses, or the Lakers, who can't afford to let it go to a Game 7?
Foul Play
The smell of desperation, and these teams' growing dislike for each other, could mean a lot of hitting in Game 6.
Shaq at Home
O'Neal won the first two games at home in this series practically single-handedly. Look for L.A. to go to its big man at every opportunity.
The sizzling Pacers
They've averaged 119 points a game in the past two games -- 119! -- and are shooting the lights out. Can they do it away from Conseco?
COLD: Pacers in Staples Well, they haven't done it yet. They're 0-4 in L.A.'s building -- they lost to the Clippers, too -- 0-2 in the playoffs.
HOT: Lakers in Staples They tied with the Pacers for the best home record this season, and beat the Pacers in Games 1 and 2, even without Kobe for most of the second one.
HOT: The Pacers from 3-Point Land Better than 40 percent in these Finals. And, if you've watched, they're not afraid to put them up.
COLD: L.A.'s Defense The Lakers came into the Finals giving up 94.2 points a game. Against the Pacers, they're giving up 105.8.
The Finals . You one of those who only tunes in for the last two minutes of the game? You oughta check out tonight, then.
Ron Harper . The veteran guard is like most guards in this series -- hot and cold. But his good humor and cool demeanor help keep the Lakers loose.
Sam Perkins . A veteran who is always there to hit the big shot when it counts. A tip for the Lakers: Don't leave him open.
Staples' Shooting Hex . A sorry excuse that even the Pacers aren't buying. Of course, if you shoot from the distance Shaq does, it doesn't matter.
Momentum
Swish : After a 33-point blowout, have to think it's on Pacers' side. Brick : Unless, of course, it's on the Lakers'.
Game 6
Swish : The tension's so thick you could ... Brick : That doesn't always make for the best basketball.
Rebounding
Swish : The team that wins the boards has won every game in this series. Brick : Well, if we only knew who would win that battle.
Scoring
Swish : Up, up, up in these Finals. Brick : Can someone please put a hand in someone's face?

 

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