Lakers, Trail Blazers Are Game for West's Game 7 -

LOS ANGELES, June 3 -- The only thing better for the NBA than having Game 7 decide a conference champion is a Game 7 between the top teams in the league, evenly matched rivals who have grown annoyed with one another over the last two weeks. The day before the final game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers was highlighted by accusations, denials, posturing, courting the referees and even a shared appreciation for the spectacle that is Game 7.

"I guess the NBA and NBC got exactly what they wanted," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said this afternoon of the league and its primary television partner.

"This is what you dream of," Portland's Steve Smith said. "I think everybody, whatever aspect of basketball you're in -- playing, watching -- Game 7 of any series is fun."

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant doesn't have much in the way of personal experience to draw on, but said: "I love it. If you look at the past, at all the great teams, everybody's been pushed, pushed to their limit before. Everybody's been pushed to the seventh game. As a kid watching those games, I used to love them. To be in this situation, even though we'd much rather be preparing for [Eastern Conference champion] Indiana, is kinda cool."

Beyond that, the two teams agree on little. The Lakers say Portland is containing Shaquille O'Neal effectively because the referees are allowing the Trail Blazers to play an illegal zone. Bryant said after the Lakers' morning videotape review, "There were illegal defenses a whole bunch of times; they just weren't called." And Jackson said, "Once they get their defense legal, we'll be all right."

Portland Coach Mike Dunleavy shot back that O'Neal is playing an illegal zone, and also is hanging around in the lane for longer than the allotted three seconds. Pippen called the Lakers' criticism "old news."

What cannot be disputed is that the Lakers, after taking a 3-1 series lead, have lost two straight by relying too much on outside shooting and that the Trail Blazers have won two straight at Staples Center and two straight overall to tie the series at three games apiece. However, the Lakers haven't lost three straight all season. They figure to be much more determined about getting the ball to O'Neal, who took only two shots in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' Game 5 loss and only 17 shots despite playing the full 48 minutes Friday night in Game 6 in Portland. "They were doing the same things -- hacking, flopping," O'Neal said of Portland's defense. "We'll be all right Sunday. That's when we're really going to come and play, on Sunday."

To make good on that promise, the Lakers are going to have to figure out how to stop Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Smith, Arvydas Sabonis, Damon Stoudamire, Bonzi Wells and whoever else might decide to have a big game for the still-unpredictable Trail Blazers. "They have six or seven guys playing well," Lakers guard Ron Harper said. For example, Portland outscored Los Angeles, 42-28, near the basket Friday night.

"Game 7 is do or die," the Lakers' Glen Rice said. "It's not what we wanted, but we know we have to win this thing. It's going to be a real emotional game, a very rough game."

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