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'Play me' Lakers' O'Neal sends a message to Sixers' Mutombo
Updated: Tuesday June 12, 2001 1:14 AM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - "Play me." A day after accusing Dikembe Mutombo of "flopping and crying every time I back him down," Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal issued that concise message to his Philadelphia counterpart. O'Neal was ready Monday when the subject of Mutombo, the NBA's defensive player of the year this season, was broached by reporters. "Good, I don't have to repeat myself," O'Neal said when told Mutombo had taken his remarks following Game 3 of the NBA Finals as a challenge. "I said what I said, and I meant what I said. So, hey, good. "Challenge me. Treat me like a game of checkers and play me. I'm allowed to pivot, I'm allowed to play strong, I'm allowed to be powerful. That's what I've been doing my whole career and I'm not going to change. "So, you know, just play me. Treat me like Sega and play me." With the Lakers leading 86-84 Sunday night, O'Neal was called for an offensive foul on Mutombo, his sixth, to put him on the bench with 2:21 remaining. Thanks mainly to Robert Horry, who scored his team's final seven points, the Lakers held off the 76ers 96-91 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Finals, which resume Wednesday night at the First Union Center.
O'Neal also committed an offensive foul against Mutombo in the third quarter, his fourth, just 15 seconds after he was called for a loose ball foul against the Philadelphia center. Mutombo seemed hurt by O'Neal's comments immediately after Game 3, calling O'Neal a good friend and saying he didn't know how to respond. A day later, Mutombo took the offensive. "When he says that, it's related to what? Him fouling out? Am I the referee?" Mutombo said. "These are the Finals; these are the NBA championships. Nobody let me drive on the freeway to get to where I am today. It doesn't make sense at all for an intelligent person to say that." Mutombo said he believed O'Neal's remarks had a lot to do with the Lakers' first three playoff series, when they went 11-0 and he had his way in the middle. Despite Mutombo's presence, O'Neal has fared well in the Finals, averaging 34.0 points, 17.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 4.0 blocked shots. He had 30 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and four blocks before fouling out Sunday night. "When you play against somebody who's bodying you, it kind of frustrates you a little bit," Mutombo said. "I think I'm doing a great job. I'm not flopping. I've never been looked at as someone who is flopping. "How am I going to flop if I have stitches in my mouth? That sounds so stupid. I hope he didn't mean that. I don't give a damn whatever the guy is saying about me. "Sometimes you lose your friends in the middle of a battle. We don't play for the same organization. Right now, we just want to win a ring." As might be expected, Mutombo's teammates came to his defense. "Did you watch the game yesterday? Did you see those other Western Conference centers play against Shaq? So you know he wasn't flopping out there," 76ers guard Aaron McKie said. "I've seen guys try and take flops on Shaquille, but I've never seen Deke try and flop on anybody," Philadelphia reserve forward Todd MacCulloch said. Sixers head coach Larry Brown steered clear, saying: "The guy fouled out of the game. I think if he's not disappointed, that's not the kid I know. So, I don't take anything from that. "I think he just said something after the game. He's a marvelous player and a better person." Kobe Bryant laughed when asked about how punishing it must be to play against O'Neal. "He's just so powerful, man, he doesn't even use all of his strength, really," Bryant said. "But no, I don't know how punishing it is because I'm not a center and I don't have to deal with that." O'Neal drew laughs from the crowd of reporters on hand when asked if enjoyed making life difficult for those who guard him. "Yes, I do enjoy punishing people, especially people that can play me one-on-one," he said. "That's a challenge to me, playing me one-on-one. I can't even stop myself one-on-one."
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