On Dynasty’s Doorstep

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —  A few miles from the world famous Vince Lombardi rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike, the Lakers found that winning’s not everything, it’s the inevitable thing.

They are a victory from their third consecutive NBA championship, from a sweep of the New Jersey Nets in the Finals, from making a place alongside the accomplished teams in league history.

They defeated the Nets, 106-103, Sunday night at Continental Airlines Arena, and so have won the first three games of the best-of-seven series, which could conclude here Wednesday night. No team has lost a series after winning the first three games, and the Lakers have not lost four consecutive games in the Phil Jackson era.

Kobe Bryant scored 36 points and Shaquille O’Neal had 35. New Jersey’s Jason Kidd scored 30 points, then missed a 27-foot runner that could have sent the game to overtime.

Rick Fox scored the final two points on free throws with 3.5 seconds left, and Bryant scored six seconds before on a nine-foot leaner, after nearly losing the ball in a double-team of Kidd and Kerry Kittles. Forty seconds before that, O’Neal banked in a turn-around jumper over Jason Collins.

And while the Nets were more game than they had been in either of their losses in Los Angeles, and while their home crowd pulled at them with some verve, there is little left to decide, it would appear, other than when the end comes.

“I’m not one to make predictions,” Bryant said. “It would be disrespectful to the New Jersey Nets. That’s something I don’t want to do. But what I’m saying is, I believe in our system. I believe in my teammates.”

Net Coach Byron Scott, who won three championships as a player for the Lakers in the ‘80s, smiled in spite of the chore ahead of him. O’Neal has scored 111 points in three games, and though the Nets were better against him in Game 3, Scott is running out of practical ideas.

“I think you have to get Mr. O’Neal and Mrs. O’Neal together again,” he said. “That’s the only way you’re going to be able to stop Shaq.

“I don’t think whatever you do, change the rules to try to stop him, it’s not gonna stop him. When he wants to take over a basketball game, with his strength, size, athleticism, I mean, as agile as he is for that big, there’s nothing you can do.

“So, if Mrs. O’Neal and Mr. O’Neal are around, if they can make one for me, I’d really appreciate it.”

It would seem unlikely.

It was O’Neal himself who pointed out the coincidence of Bryant winning the championship in his hometown--Philadelphia--last year, and O’Neal having the chance to win in his this week. Game 5, if it is necessary, would be here Friday night.

“We’ve been together too long to fold,” O’Neal said.

Early on, O’Neal located his stepfather in the stands, and appeared to play to the man they call “Sarge.” So when his free throws fell, he peered into the seats, and when his turnarounds went, he stared, and Phil Harrison nodded.

“We know what it takes,” O’Neal said. “We know not to get too happy. We know this team’s not going to give us one. We have one more game to win. We’re not worried about all that other stuff.”

The Lakers won their seventh consecutive Finals game, an NBA record, though the Nets made more than half of their field-goal attempts and led by seven points with almost seven minutes remaining, and by six with O’Neal resting on the bench with six minutes left.

Kidd had rejoined the series, on his way to 11 fourth-quarter points, and Kenyon Martin was on his way to 26 points, most while posting and turning on Fox or Robert Horry near the basket.

For two games, the series had been all about O’Neal. That’s often the time O’Neal rears up, sticks out his tongue, pins back his ears and ... hands the ball to Bryant. And, as the defense swirled to him, Bryant scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, some as Phil Jackson--poised to tie Red Auerbach with his ninth coaching championship--glared at Bryant’s defiance. Bryant made five of nine field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter, just as Kidd did.

“They had us down seven or so with five minutes left to play, and we said, ‘Hey, they’re not used to winning, but we are,’ ” said Brian Shaw, who played most of the fourth quarter in place of Derek Fisher, despite Fisher’s 13 points in the first three quarters.

Horry made a three-pointer with 3:03 left, the Lakers led, 98-96--their first lead since the third quarter--and they never trailed again.

The Nets scored the final eight points of the third quarter, and 13 of the final 16, to enter the fourth quarter in a 78-78 tie. They then scored the first six points of the fourth--two Kidd field goals and one Kidd assist--for a 14-0 run and an 84-78 lead.

The Lakers had two 11-point leads in the third, but the Net offense began to look more like that which Scott had in mind, with Kidd finding cutters and Martin going hard to the rim.

The Nets pressed and clung to O’Neal and put their hands in Bryant’s face, only to have it end badly again for them. The locker-room grease-board messages that have counted it all down from 15 read, “Uno mas,” minutes after Bryant had pointed to his biceps, and after the Lakers’ shots went, and the Nets’ didn’t.

“Just one more,” Horry said. “That’s all we’re going to focus on now.... All we need is one more. It doesn’t matter how we get it or when we get it.”

He smiled.

“We’d like to get it on Wednesday.”

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