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Game 5: Suns-Lakers Preview
Posted: Tuesday May 16, 2000 02:52 PM
Ron Harper says the Lakers aren't as good as they think they are. Phil Jackson says it's time for an attitude adjustment, but he used bigger words, and sounded a lot more professorial than I possibly can. At any rate, the Lakers came up with a real stinker in Game 4 in Phoenix on Sunday, but still lead the Suns 3-1, and can close 'em out Tuesday night in L.A. I don't think you'll see Phoenix putting 71 first-half points on the Staples Center scoreboard, or 117 for the game -- the most the Lakers allowed all season. The Suns will get a close up look at the Lakers' "A" game right from the outset Thursday night, and they know it. Harper has vowed that the Lakers will dish out a beating in Game 5 and Penny Hardaway says that just points to a lack of respect. Haven't we heard that story line before? [Only about a billion times.] The key for Phoenix will be withstanding all that emotion, and home-court hoopla, and getting Jason Kidd in gear again. It was vintage Kidd in Game 4 -- notching another triple double -- hustling the Suns up and down the floor on a recently fractured ankle. His improved post-injury play, and the ever present 3-point threat from Rodney Rogers and Cliff Robinson can keep Phoenix in the game. The Suns hit 10 of 21 shots from the arc Sunday after connecting on just 12 of 53 [23 percent] in the first three games. By the way, I can hardly wait for the closing minute of this game, after the timeout-a-thon that Phil Jackson and the "hard headed" [Jackson's description, not mine] Scott Skiles engaged in Sunday. If the Lakers are as good as advertised, they'll end this series Thursday night and get ready for the Blazers. If they find themselves going back to Phoenix on Thursday, the seeds of self doubt will certainly have been planted. Though in some minds, they may already have been. 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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