|
 The Sacramento Kings thought they were mature enough to
face the Lakers. The same Lakers that defeated them on the first-round
of the playoffs 2000.
But Shaquille O'Neal had another amazing night and Kobe
Bryant showed his repertory on the key moments, as he always does.
44 points, 21 rebounds, 7 blocks, 1 of them to Jason
Williams with 23 seconds remaining on the game. That was the Shaq's
crop.
Kobe scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter,
when the Lakers took the leadership, that would be definitive, and
scored his 4 free throws to seal the result .
Together, they combined to score 29 of the Lakers 31
points in the third quarter, 46 of the 55 of the second half and
73 of the final 108.
The remaining Lakers did the other tasks, Rick Fox contained
the growing light of Peja Stojakovic (6 of 18 attempts) and took
10 rebounds, Brian Shaw got 4 steals, Derek Fisher 8 rebounds.
For the Kings, Webber scored 34 points, his maximun
against the Lakers, on 12 of 22 attempts, and Peja Stojakovic ended
with 20 points.
The final of the first half found Sacramento leading
54-53, and averaging the third quarter their leadership continued
73-71, but there was the begining of a 19-7 Laker run that ended
with Los Angeles up 90-80, and after that they were never even tied
by Sacramento.
Lately,
every time this two teams play each other, the key is under the
boards, were one can see the superirity of Shaquille O'Neal, and
the impotence of Divac and Pollard, that look like first row spectators. |
Playoffs 2001
Sacramento is an athletic team with
a good ball game, but it is two games from summer. The main reason
is that they don't know what to do with that big guy named Shaquille
O'Neal.
)
and took 20 rebounds.
The
first half ended 43-43. But the Lakers came back to the third quarter
ready to show they are the defending champions.
