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L.A. Lakers at Sacramento: Game 4
Posted: Tuesday May 02, 2000 04:10 PM
When Phil Jackson's coaching days are over, and if the sitcom "Spin City" is still around, somebody give the Zen Master a shot at the lead role. He's of the opinion that the Lakers' loss to the Kings on Sunday was actually beneficial. It prevents a long layoff before the conference semis begin, and gives his team another opportunity to be tested and hardened. Hey, when I write that even I'm starting to buy into it. Fact of the matter is, you never want to play a game when you don't really need to, just to prevent the possibility of a star turning an ankle, etc. So do the Lakers end this series in four games, or does a torrid fourth quarter of Game 3 carry the Kings into Game 4. We've known all season that Sacramento puts points on the board, but nobody saw an 18-4 run down the stretch on the horizon. Tony Delk and Peja Stojakovic -- henchmen on the "Bench Mob" -- did the dirty work. Amazing, because Peja, while a solid scorer, was just 2 of 12 in the first two games before he exploded. Delk's had a good series [didn't miss a shot in the opener] and he saved his best for when the Kings were minutes away from the golf course. Look for Shaq to put his 8 for 22 game behind him Tuesday night. I've been saying since the playoffs started that anybody in the West can beat the Lakers ... the trouble is beating 'em three or four in a series. Arco's gonna be "off the hook" as my partner Kenny Smith says. Stay up late folks, you can be a few minutes late for work Wednesday. Ernie Johnson is in his 10th year as the studio host for TNT and TBS Superstation's NBA telecasts, as well as TNT's live coverage of the NBA Draft every June.
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