Playoff Around The Rim: June 15
By Eric Karabell
ESPN.com
VIEW FROM THE ROAD
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INDIANAPOLIS -- This had to be demoralizing for Indiana, losing Game 4 like that. Now going into Game 5 on Friday, is it possible that they can play better in the next game? I just don't think so. They did so many things right but still couldn't pull out the victory. And they had to win the games here at Conseco Fieldhouse.
You always want to win a game, and you never want to watch a team celebrate winning the title, especially on your home floor. I wonder if the Pacers really want to go back to Los Angeles just to lose this series or not.
To read more about what our NBA experts think about this series and Kobe Bryant in particular, click here and read our latest Finals Question.
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VIEW FROM THE FANS
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It was a game where there had to be a loser. But both teams played hard for 53 minutes. Hustle was evident on every play, which is what makes a champion. From a fan's perspective it was exciting to have so many potential and one definitive play that sealed a victory. Terrific!
Michael Jones
Orange, Calif.
Why does everyone think that Jalen Rose all of a sudden got cold in Game 4? Is it even POSSIBLE that Glen Rice did as he said he would and played better defense? Granted, Jalen has been inconsistent in the playoffs, but at the same time, I doubt Phil Jackson would have played Rice so many minutes if he thought Rice was playing the same as Game 3. Rice scored 11 and Rose scored 16, but I'm sure L.A. would take that versus Glen scoring 20 and Jalen scoring 35.
Justin Barnes
Los Angeles
Kobe is becoming the next Michael Jordan. He basically took over the game when Shaq fouled out. He has good overall skill when it comes to shooting, and his mental attitude is key to his game. He mentioned after the game that he didn't stress over pressure, that he took the clutch minutes in the game as if he was playing in a backyard game.
The Pacers have no answer for Kobe. Kobe is awesome to watch, even if he won't ever play for your favorite team, you should embrace him as a gifted athlete. He should be mentioned in the same breath with Michael Jordan.
Fred Medina
Rio Rancho, N.M.
"The price of greatness is responsibility." -- Winston Churchill
Kobe Bryant proved with accuracy these immortal words by playing as though he were responsible for the Lakers' season, their pride, and their history. He shouldered an entire season, and the organization as a whole for five crucial minutes. He, in turn, etched his name in the book of NBA Lore.
Erik Ward
California
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Kobe was spectacular. Shaq was dominating. And Reggie was fantastic.
But there were a few other players who stood up in Game 4 and wanted to be counted, a few guys who needed to vindicate themselves. In the end the only player you remember is Kobe, because he's now on a different par with the Kobe you saw in Game 2 falling on Jalen Rose's foot. It's a new Kobe now.
But it's also a new Rik Smits now. And Robert Horry, too. And to some degree, Glen Rice as well.
Rice
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Let's start with Rice. Universally condemned by his coach and Laker fans after his matador defense and lack of scoring to boot in Game 3, Rice wasn't anything special when it came to scoring in Game 4. He hit a pair of threes, and had 11 points. But he played 39 minutes, which is a lot for him, even with the overtime being added in. Rick Fox played only 15.
"One of the things I had said is that I wanted to come out and be very aggressive, get some shots up quick and see if I could give the team a little spark," Rice said. "It worked for the most part."
One of the first bits of news that will come from L.A. when the series is over, is what happens with Rice. Where does he go? Interestingly enough, plenty of talk has him staying with the Lakers. Rice wants the $14 mil maximum, but no team is going to give him that. If the Lakers offer half that, Rice will likely stay. Money has a way of making bad relationships, like the one Rice (and his wife) have with Phil Jackson, go away.
Horry has had a great playoffs, and it's more than statistics with him. Not that he was forgotten after his Rockets years, but Horry hasn't been near as effective since then during the regular season. In Game 4 he scored 10 points in the first half, a big bucket down the stretch of regulation and the first two field goals of overtime. And 37 minutes is a lot off of any bench.
But late in regulation, Horry threw the ball away while looking for Rice, a critical turnover that nearly cost the Lakers the game.
"I tried to get it down to someone who was open," Horry said. "It went out of bounds, and I said, 'Alright, we'll just win in overtime.'"
Then there's Smits. He scored 22 points in the first three games of the series combined. Then he scored 24 in Game 4 on 11 of 14 shooting. Curiously, nobody was talking much about Smits afterward, since the Pacers had lost.
"I thought he did an excellent job," Larry Bird said. "The first half he was very focused. He picked up some fouls. He played very aggressive on the offensive end, he took it right to the hole and got some good looks. In overtime, obviously, Rik played very well. We were trying to get him the ball and, you know, he blocked a shot and scored some points for us. This was his best effort in the series."
Smits says he will wait until the preseason to decide if he wants to tie the sneakers up for another season. In fairness to the big center, he's not as bad as Shaq has made him look in the series. Shaq was asked at a press conference a few days ago what he thought of Smits as a player, and he made a few funny faces as if to indicate he really enjoyed his company on the court because he could score on him at will. It was nice, for once, to see Smits do a little damage. We're sure he enjoyed it as well.
Other thoughts
Do you agree with the Pacers' decision to have Reggie Miller shoot a three and go for the win, rather than take the best shot down close to the basket and get a tie? "Well, we had plenty of time to get a good look at the basket but we wanted to get the ball in Reggie's hands at that time," Larry Bird said. "I thought we did a good job doing that, just that we didn't get a piece of the defender and get the time to get the shot up. It was a rushed shot. If we had the three, we were going to take it. If it was a two, we would have took that. " ... The press section will be rooting for the Lakers in Game 5, and not because they are Laker fans. It's because a series made longer by not playing every other day can end Friday. If the Pacers win, Game 6 is three days later, on Monday.
Stat of the day
Glen Rice got off to a good start when he drained his first shot, a 3-pointer, and was fouled by Jalen Rose. Then Rice hit the free throw and we had the fifth four-point play in Finals history. Here are the others.
OTHER FOUR-POINT PLAYS IN THE FINALS:
Hersey Hawkins, Sonics vs. Bulls, 6/14/96
Toni Kukoc, Bulls vs. Sonics, 6/5/96
Scott Wedman, Celtics vs. Lakers, 6/7/85
Andrew Toney, 76ers vs. Lakers, 6/1/82
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