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Blazers
continued from page 11
pounding the paint with its three
big-gun powerful forwards.
And when L.A. seemingly left
the Blazers crippled with a 109-94
win in Game 1?
Portland beats them by twice as
much in Game 2!
No way the Lakers could have
seen it coming. I don’t think any
one saw it coming. I definitely
Amateur Dance Contest
at the
Alaskan Bush Company
Come try out your dancing skills
and compete for cash.
Guys get out here and cheer them on.
Tomorrow at 9pm
1030 Highway 99*688-9027
one modem number!
By next fall, there will
be nearly IWICC as many
UO modems
and only 0116 modem
number. . .
225-2200
Questions?
Contact Microcomputer Services
• http ://micro. uoregon.edu/modeminfo
• microhelp@oregon.uoregon.edu
• 346-4412
didn’t see it coming. It’s not often
that after you rout a team in the
playoffs, and in your own house,
that the team you thought you’d
knocked down jumps up and
slaps you silly before you can cry
“uncle.”
Yet there is was, in the faces of
the silenced Staples Center spec
tators and on the screens of televi
sions nationwide.
Put simply, the Blazers made
them eat it.
It will be interesting to see if the
Lakers can get back into the ring
as easily as Portland did. History
ultimately goes against O’Neal.
Losses like Monday night’s have
caused his teams to spiral out of
the playoffs, resulting in sweeps
in all but one season.
But beware, Blazer fans.
Don’t get cocky and assume that
Portland is a lock to win this series,
despite now holding the home
court advantage against L.A. Don’t
forget that “The Big Fella” pretty
much sucked in Game 2, missing
even close shots. Remember that
Kobe Bryant has been a non-factor
in the series, so far.
There’s no way to predict a situ
ation like this, because as easy as
the Lakers could fold in Portland,
they could steal one on the road
and regain home-court advantage,
which, make no mistake, they
won’t win without.
Safer predictions can be made
after Game 4. If the Lakers win ei
ther Game 3 or 4, then it could go
all the way to Game 7 in L.A., and
in that situation, it’s hard to pass
over the Lakers as the favorites.
But if the Blazers defend their
home court and win the next two,
it’s done. Because there’s no way
any team in the league can beat
the Blazers three games in a row.
“So, Mr. Columnist, what do
you think?”
Well, one loss is only a loss,
and past a certain point spread, a
rout is a rout. If the Lakers can just
manage to hang with the Blazers
early in Game 3, it should be a
close contest.
But that’s all it will be.
This is a Portland team that was
shaken awake by a tough Min
nesota team, then blew out Utah
three consecutive games to start
the second round. One of those
harsh whippings happened at the
Delta Center, arguably the tough
est place to play in the NBA.
Now, they’ve been rudely
awakened — again — this time by
a loud Staples Center crowd and
a 7-foot-l Taco Bell sales rep.
The Blazers are a reactive team.
They’re not very good at creating
motivation for themselves, so
they need outside forces to moti
vate them. Getting their tails
kicked by L. A. in Game 1 provid
ed the needed inspiration. Just
look what happened in Game 2.
So Portland goes home and de
fends its home, winning games 3
and 4. Then, with a trip to the NBA
Finals all but a sure thing, the Blaz
ers loosen their grip and the Lakers
rip them apart in Game 5.
But that’s the last wake-up call
Portland needs. The series goes
back to the Rose Garden and the
Blazers unleash 23 years of wait
ing, and L.A. is defeated in one of
the most intense games this season.
If that doesn’t work out, the
Blazers just need to keep doing
what they’ve been doing.
If the Lakers do something well,
the Blazers need to counter it two
fold.
That’s the Portland way — and
that’s how you beat L.A.
Scott Pesznecker is a sports editor for
the Emerald. His views do not necessari
ly reflect those of the paper. He can be
reached atJFL\K1@aol.com.
Lakers
continued from page 11
Mike Dunleavy’s troops — or “the
best team money can buy” ac
cording to Lakers’ coach Phil
Jackson — not only doubled the
Lakers’ Game 1 effort, but they
obliterated the Lakers’ front of in
vincibility.
You’re like: Take that Phil
(owner of six NBA Championship
rings), who is, according to Dun
leavy, “the best coach money can
buy.”
You’re like: Take that Shaq,
who you happily watched get vic
timized by Dunleavy’s effective
but-sad Hack-a-Shaq strategy.
(Yo, Mike, that plan is wrong.
Bor-ing. Weak.)
You’re like: Take that Kobe,
who even a certain segment of the
Lakers-rooting demographic is a
bit upset with, in light of his re
cently announced engagement.
And you’re totally expecting
Portland to take Games 3 and 4
here in the Northwest.
Your heart is set on it. You’re
counting on it.
Don’t.
L.A. is gonna be fine.
For sure.
Don’t get cocky, Blazer fans. Just
‘cause your team won by a lot (OK,
a whole helluva lot). It’s just one
game. One win. It’s rout-for-rout.
We’re even, 1-1.
Oh, no doubt, Portland was in
spired by its Game 1 loss. And it
showed. Your Blazers were moti
vated. So motivated that Rasheed
Wallace found it within himself to
stay composed.
But wait until you see L.A. in
spired.
True, it doesn’t happen often.
That’s just part of the Lakers’
charm. They’re so damn cool. But
if these L.A. cats were ever to get
juiced, it’s now. All your Rose
Garden energy might actually
help them in that department. In
tensity breeds intensity, so bring it
Portland. Make it loud.
It’s guaranteed; they won’t play
as poorly, as statically, as drowsily
or as badly as they did Monday.
Phil won’t let ‘em. Kobe won’t
let them. Nor will Shaq.
There won’t be any future 20-0
Blazers’ runs. There won’t be any
additional eight-point Lakers’ quar
ters. Shaq is gonna stop messing
around. Kobe will be ready. Mon
day was nothing but another learn
ing experience for the young man.
And Damon Stoudamire won’t
likely get into foul trouble so
soon, so he’ll probably be getting
more floor time — which is A-OK
with L. A.
Portland, even Blazer fans ad
mit, is better with Greg Anthony,
Stoudamire’s backup, on the floor.
So, welcome back Mighty Mouse.
Rice ought to eventually show
— he needs to. Fox and Horry
(owner of two NBA champi
onship rings) figure to reappear.
And Portland-native A.C. Green
(owner of two NBA Champi
onship rings) wears a green pro
abstinence beanie baby bear on
his head. So ... yeah.
OK, ‘Sheed’s got him beat — if
‘Sheed can stick around long
enough, that is.
Besides, it would be impossible
for the Lakers to play worse than
they did Monday. They played
that bad.
But we’ll see. Enjoy your
blowout, Pez. You have three
more days to cherish your team’s
grit, Scottie’s leadership and your
Blazers-in-six apparition.
Put on a headband, kid.
But your team is, no doubt,
touchable.
Mirjam Swanson is the sports editor for
the Emerald. Her views do not necessari
ly reflect those of the paper. She can be
reached via e-mail at mswan@glad
stone.uoregon.edu