May 3rd: "Lakers can't close, lose 114-97" "Raja Bell Suspended One Game."

[Phil]

Lakers can't close, lose 114-97
Pushed to the brink of elimination, the Suns take control to force a Game 6 on Thursday in L.A.

BY KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register


The Lakers' Kobe Bryant is fouled by the Suns' Raja Bell as Steve Nash looks on during the second half of the Lakers 114-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns.



Key adjustment
Bell on Bryant
Suns coach Mike D’Antoni didn’t give Kobe Bryant another chance to carve up 6-foot-3 Leandro Barbosa in the post, junking the plan to use Barbosa as a backup defender on Bryant. In Game 5, it was Raja Bell on Bryant for every possession but one - until Bell’s ejection with 7:33 to play.

Thumbs up
Balanced Diaw
After a pregame ceremony to commemorate his being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, Phoenix’s Boris Diaw showed marked improvement from his shaky first postseason games. He had two regular-season triple-doubles and nearly had another (25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists).

Bench surprise
French connection
Laker rookie Ronny Turiaf made his playoff debut and a contribution by converting back-to-back three-point plays off Lamar Odom passes in the second quarter while Kwame Brown was out with foul trouble. But Turiaf was called for a technical foul for a hard foul on good friend Boris Diaw, who is also from France.

Kevin Ding, The Orange County Register

PHOENIX— The NBA’s most improved player kept the Phoenix Suns alive in the playoffs, and Kobe Bryant wasn’t even around to see the finish.

Boris Diaw – presented with the most-improved trophy before the game – had 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the Suns rolled to a 114-97 victory over Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers tonight.

The Lakers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game 6 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

[Phil]

Lakers miss on closeout
By JEFF MILLER
The Orange County Register

PHOENIX – The newspaper stories, the tickets, even the NBA offices will be calling it Game 6.

But what happens Thursday at Staples Center could feel oddly like Game 7 for one team, the team that isn't even officially on the brink.

For a second time, the Lakers will try to close out the Suns, who faced elimination in Game 5 and obviously liked what they saw, running down the visitors' throats, high-tops first, 114-97.

Now the Lakers might sense they're the ones squinting into elimination's ugly grin, even with a one-game cushion that's supposed to feel comfortable, not confining. Although Raja Bell might have helped by losing his mind late in Game 5. But we'll get to that ...

First, all that youth and playoff naivete that added charm to this building Lakers run now will be challenged again. This is all about growing up, remember, as a team? Some of life's best lessons are learned through pain.

Can't happen? Not against these born-again Lakers? Only seven NBA teams have come back to win a series after trailing in games 3-1, you say?

[Phil]

Lakers snapped back to reality
Distracted L.A. can't close out Phoenix
BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer


Smush Parker is fouled by Leandro Barbosa while driving for a layup in the first half of the fifth game of the Western Conference quarterfinals, Tuesday at US Airways Center in Phoenix.
Photo Gallery: 5/1: NBA Playoffs - Lakers vs. Suns (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photo)

PHOENIX - There were enough issues facing the Lakers on Tuesday night at US Airways Center before Phoenix's Raja Bell tried out a move that Kobe Bryant thought came straight from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

That was the only comparison for Bryant - something from the UFC's "Octagon" - after Bell clotheslined him on a drive, spun him to the floor, drew a flagrant foul and was ejected in the fourth quarter.

The play overshadowed the Lakers' 114-97 loss in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round series and could lead to a suspension for Phoenix's defensive specialist from the league office.

The Lakers still lead 3-2 and will have the chance to close out the series with a victory in Game 6 on Thursday night at Staples Center. If necessary, Game 7 will be back in Phoenix on Saturday.

"It was a bad play on my part," Bell said. "I overreacted. I've been hit in the face multiple times in this series and it was a bad play on my part."

[Phil]

Brown Is Investigated in Sexual Assault Case
By Mike Bresnahan and Jerry Crowe, Times Staff Writers
May 3, 2006

Kwame Brown was in the starting lineup for the Lakers on Tuesday night, only hours after the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the 6-foot-11 center-forward was the focus of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault.

The alleged incident reportedly took place early Saturday morning, after the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Staples Center in Game 3 of their opening-round NBA playoff series. The police department released no other details.

The 24-year-old Brown, traded to the Lakers from the Washington Wizards last summer, was not made available to reporters before Tuesday night's Game 5 at Phoenix. Earlier, he made no comment upon arriving at US Airways Arena.

But in a statement released by the Lakers about 90 minutes before their 114-97 series-extending loss, Brown said, "I want to assure everyone that I am completely innocent of any wrongdoing and look forward to the truth coming out when this matter is fully investigated. However, on the advice of my attorney, I cannot comment further at this time."

[Phil]

A Clear View Is Now Suddenly Full of Clouds
May 3, 2006

PHOENIX — Under investigation for alleged sexual assault.

The words flashed across the Internet, through the Southland, into the Laker locker room, smothering the joy.

Under investigation for alleged sexual assault.

Scream.

Why this? Why now?

An organization that was soaring like an eagle has been dumped into the dark days of Eagle.

The ugly limbo finally vacated by Kobe was now apparently being inhabited by Kwame.

Do we really have to go through this again?

The news Tuesday was that Laker center Brown was the focus of a Los Angeles Police Department investigation into an alleged sexual assault.

One reaction was anger.

Another reaction, this one offered by the players, was weariness.

In a 114-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns in the NBA playoffs here, the Lakers' series lead dropped to three-games-to-two, and their expressions fell.

They looked tired. They looked apathetic. They looked distracted.

"We are not distracted," claimed Smush Parker afterward, surrounded by an unusually large horde of cameras after going one for seven. "We just didn't come to play."

[Phil]

Bell's foul is cause for great concern

Doug Haller
The Arizona Republic
May. 3, 2006 12:00 AM

Jerry Colangelo left a phone message as soon as Tuesday night's Game 5 ended.

The Suns' chief executive officer wanted to get a dialogue started with Stu Jackson, the NBA's top disciplinarian. The Suns' postseason hopes are at stake.

With 7:33 left in the game, Suns guard Raja Bell grabbed Kobe Bryant around the neck and threw him down as the Lakers star drove to the basket. Bell earned a technical foul, his second of the game, and an automatic ejection.
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The Suns fear their best perimeter defender could be suspended for Game 6, a possibility that put a damper on a 114-97 win at US Airways Center.

"We don't believe this was an isolated incident or play," Colangelo said. "There were a number of things that led up to that flagrant foul. Things that have happened the whole series. A lot of elbows. It's been a very physical matchup between Raja and Kobe. I think Raja was pretty explicit. He lost his head. He overreacted, but a lot of things led to it."

[Phil]

Now, they're in a dangerous spot
Steve Dilbeck, Columnist

PHOENIX - There were pregame distractions galore, all kinds of history and would-be history floating about, a frantic opponent, a flat start.

What there mostly was in the end, however, was trouble. Very real trouble for the Lakers. The Lakers started slowly, recovered and then gradually saw Game 5 slip away to the Suns Tuesday.

Now they head back to Los Angeles in real danger. They need to win at home Thursday, or face the daunting task of having to defeat the Suns in a Game 7 in Phoenix.

"The next game becomes a pressure game for us," said Phil Jackson. "We have to win, or you get that feeling you have to win on your homecourt."

The pressure can shift quickly in the playoffs, teams riding along seemingly smooth suddenly derailed by a tough loss, their game beginning to slip. Despite the Lakers taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, this playoff has been a close one.

Every game tight, the average margin of victory in the first four games only 4.7 points.

And then before Tuesday's game even began, bad news rocked the franchise when it was learned center Kwame Brown was under investigation for sexual assault. The assault allegedly occurred early Saturday morning after the Lakers win in Game 3 at Staples. Brown claimed innocence in a statement but did not speak to the media.

[Phil]

Dumping Shaq turns out to be the right move
Published May 3, 2006



MIAMI -- OK, girls and boys, let's all march up to the blackboard and write it 100 times:

We're sorry, Jerry Buss . . . We're sorry, Jerry Buss . . . We're sorry, Jerry Buss.

The much-castigated owner of the Los Angeles Lakers was right. We were wrong. You, me, everybody.

We portrayed Buss as some sort of moron when he decided two years ago to keep Kobe Bryant instead of Shaquille O'Neal. Oh, how we howled.

How could Buss allow the most dominant big man of our lifetime to walk out the door?

Shaq makes everybody around him better; Kobe makes everybody around him worse.

Shaq carries teams; Kobe destroys them.

As the first round of the NBA playoffs, which is about to surpass Gunsmoke as the longest-running series in television history, crawls to its merciful conclusion, there's one thing we know for sure: The Shaq-Kobe debate is over. The Lakers absolutely made the right call. Kobe is the most dominant, dynamic player in today's game; Shaq was the most dominant, dynamic player in yesterday's game.

At least Shaq got one win over Kobe this week. Monday, Kobe's wife and Shaq's wife both gave birth to girls. Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant was born at 2:03 a.m. PDT in California. Six minutes earlier, Mearah Sanaa O'Neal was born in Florida. Although this can't be confirmed, it is believed that little Mearah would have been born even earlier, but she had to sit in the birthing canal with three fouls.

[Phil]

Walton keeps faith, produces as starter

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
May. 3, 2006 12:00 AM

Luke Walton was an "alternative starter" to Lakers coach Phil Jackson last month.

Now, there is no alternative to what Walton gives the Lakers. They closed the season with five straight wins with him starting and have seen the success carry over to this series.

Walton has seen his season become progressively more appealing. He has gone from having a torn hamstring sideline him in the preseason and November to season averages of 5.0 points and 3.6 rebounds to playoff averages of 12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds entering Game 5.

"I knew I had to take advantage of that opportunity," Walton said of when he replaced Brian Cook as a starter a game after Phoenix won its seventh straight game against the Lakers. "It just gradually happened. Chris (Mihm) got hurt, and they needed another playmaker out there.

"Even when I was down, Phil told me he wasn't losing faith in me. He knew I could play. He was going to give me my opportunity. I love playing in this offense and playing for coach."

As defenses account for Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom, Walton floats into the gaps with the sound skills expected from Arizona players.

[Phil]

Vujacic Takes Large Strides
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
May 3, 2006

PHOENIX — In a cramped, sweltering corner of the Pyramid of Long Beach sat Phil Jackson, new Laker coach, attending a summer-league session last July to see exactly what he had signed up for.

Some Lakers stood out — Smush Parker, Ronny Turiaf — and others didn't.

Sasha Vujacic was part of the others.

Vujacic actually regressed in the months between his first and second pro seasons. His attitude needed an overhaul as he resisted the teachings of the summer-league coaching staff, a surprising course of action after averaging only 2.9 points as a rookie from Slovenia.

Vujacic, selected 27th in the 2004 draft, felt lost, looked lost and was failing to improve off what Jackson recently called "almost a disastrous rookie year."

[Phil]

Bryant 'excited' about birth of child
BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer

PHOENIX - After a day he described as "filled with many blessings," Kobe Bryant rejoined the Lakers late Monday having become a father for the second time only hours after making two last-second shots in Game 4 of this playoff series.

Bryant's second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore, was born early Monday morning in Orange County. Bryant did not practice with the Lakers but flew to Phoenix later that night and was at shootaround Tuesday.

"I got some pretty good sleep," Bryant said. "I'm just so excited. I don't really need much sleep right now."

Bryant said his older daughter, Natalia, was happy to be a big sister and that he and his wife saved the newspaper from the day Gianna was born, which was filled with stories and photos about the shots Bryant made against the Suns.

But Bryant was all business before Game 5, with the Lakers having a chance to advance to the second round with a victory.

"When I'm here, I just get ready to play," Bryant said. "I just focus on the game. I'm excited to be back around my teammates. We have a great opportunity here and we're looking forward to it."

[Phil]

Suns Back on Horizon
Lakers can't apply the clincher as Phoenix opens things up and forces Game 6 at Staples. Some of the officiating has Jackson baffled.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
May 3, 2006

PHOENIX — Hold the Hallway Series. Put away the pre-made T-shirts. Take the nation's second-largest market off basketball alert.

The Lakers and Clippers won't be starting any playoff series as long as the Phoenix Suns get to vote on the way things fall into place — and fall the Lakers did, 114-97, in Game 5 of their first-round series Tuesday at US Airways Center.

On a day when Laker center-forward Kwame Brown was being investigated for alleged sexual assault, the Laker lead slipped to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

The Suns rediscovered themselves, a runaway series was reeled back in, and the Lakers would be wise to end things Game 6 Thursday at Staples Center, if the Suns can still be stuffed back into the bottle. Game 7 would be Saturday in Phoenix.

Laker Coach Phil Jackson warned about this, and then it happened, the Lakers failing to play like a desperate team and the Suns playing like, well, the Suns.

The league's highest-scoring team had been held under 100 their last three games, all losses, but there's only so long the Suns stay stunned.

Six Suns scored in double figures, led by 25 from Boris Diaw, 22 from Steve Nash and 21 from Shawn Marion. Only Kobe Bryant (29 points), Lamar Odom (18 points) and Brown (14 points) were in double-figure scoring for the Lakers.

[Phil]

Phoenix lives to play another day

Updated 5/3/2006 5:02 AM ET

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Steve Nash helped point the Suns to a Game 6 against the Lakers. The veteran guard scored 22 points while teammate Boris Diaw led Phoenix with 25.

By Michael Chow, The Arizona Republic
Steve Nash helped point the Suns to a Game 6 against the Lakers. The veteran guard scored 22 points while teammate Boris Diaw led Phoenix with 25.

2006 NBA PLAYOFFS


GAME REPORT: Lakers-Suns

How do you say Game 6 in French? Ask Boris Diaw. The 6-8 center from France collected a near triple-double (25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) as the Suns revved up their speed-ball offense and escaped elimination with a 114-97 victory Tuesday. It cut the Lakers' lead to 3-2 and sent the best-of-seven series back to the Staples Center for Game 6 Thursday.

The winner meets the Clippers in the conference semifinals.

Diaw, honored before the game as the NBA's most improved player, played more like the league's most inspired player. With the No.-2 seeded Suns faced with a win-or-go-home game after losing three in a row to the underdog Lakers, Diaw ruled inside and out. He perked to life a Suns offense that came in averaging 97.5 points in the series, 10 below its league-best average.

"He's such a terrific player," the Suns' Steve Nash, who scored 22, said of Diaw. "He's got so many skills. It was just a matter of time."

[Phil]

Bell suspended one game for takedown of Bryant
ESPN.com news services

The Phoenix Suns forced a Game 6 with the Lakers, but Raja Bell won't be on the court for them in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Daily Dime
Compared to offenses earlier in the playoffs that resulted in one-game suspensions for Sacramento's Ron Artest and Miami's James Posey, [Raja] Bell will be fortunate if he isn't hit with more than a one-game ban.

It would seem only two forces can save him from missing Game 6.

To read more of Marc Stein's analysis in Tuesday night's Daily Dime, click here.

Bell was suspended for throwing Kobe Bryant to the floor in Tuesday night's game. He was hit with his second technical foul with 7:33 left in the game for the takedown and was ejected.

The Arizona Republic reported that Suns executive Jerry Colangelo called Stu Jackson as soon as the game ended to get a dialogue started with the NBA's top disciplinarian.

"We don't believe this was an isolated incident or play," Colangelo told the newspaper. "There were a number of things that led up to that flagrant foul. Things that have happened the whole series. A lot of elbows. It's been a very physical matchup between Raja and Kobe. I think Raja was pretty explicit. He lost his head. He overreacted, but a lot of things led to it."

[Phil]

Police: Lakers' Brown Not Interviewed Yet

By JOHN NADEL
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Police said Kwame Brown has not yet been interviewed about allegations that the Lakers center was involved in a sexual assault.

Brown denied any wrongdoing in a statement released shortly before starting in the Lakers' Game 5 playoff loss to the Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

The Lakers returned to Los Angeles and were practicing there Wednesday. Police spokeswoman April Harding said Brown has not been approached by investigators and declined to release any details of the allegation.

"This investigation is definitely in its preliminary stages," she said.

[Phil]

Suns' Bell Suspended For One Game
From the Associated Press
4:14 PM PDT, May 3, 2006

PHOENIX -- The NBA suspended Phoenix guard Raja Bell for one game on Wednesday for throwing Kobe Bryant to the floor in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

That means the Suns will be without Bell, the principal defender against Bryant, for Game 6 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Phoenix beat the Lakers 114-97 in Game 5 but Los Angeles still leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate the Suns with a victory. In a brief news release, the NBA said Bell was suspended for "excessive and unnecessary contact."

The suspension had yet to be announced when the Suns practiced earlier Wednesday before leaving for Los Angeles. After the workout, Bell repeated that throwing Bryant down was wrong but explained what led to the foul and made clear his dislike for the Lakers' star.

"I have no respect for him," Bell said. "I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual."