Portland coach Mike Dunleavy isn’t one to boast of momentum, but he likes returning to the Staples Center after wins there in Games 2 and 5 of the Western Conference finals.
The Lakers were 36-5 at home in the regular season and 7-0 in the playoffs until the last two games. Three of their last four home losses have been to Portland.
Said Dunleavy: “Obviously, we won the last two games there. There’s no fear factor knowing we can do it. The team that plays [hard] the full 48 minutes will win.”
Expectations: The Lakers went to a fifth game at home before beating No. 8 seed Sacramento and are 10-6 in this year’s playoffs, hardly dominant for a 67-win team. But the Lakers aren’t shaken.
Said guard Brian Shaw: “We stared down elimination in the Sacramento series. We haven’t lost three games in a row at home all season. We don’t expect that to happen.”
Added coach Phil Jackson: “This is what we anticipated this series to come to, a seven-game series. It’s tough to beat a good team like Portland three times in a row on their home court. We knew it would be an uphill battle.”
Stepping up: League MVP Shaquille O’Neal’s 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting in Game 6 was a disappointment for the Lakers. Jackson, experienced from his days with Michael Jordan in the Bulls’ championships, noted Saturday that stars rise to the occasion.
Said Jackson: “You saw in New York Reggie Miller with 13 points in the fourth quarter of a crucial game. That is a great example of what happens when you have experienced leaders.”
Asked about his Game 6, O’Neal replied: “I just missed shots. You all saw the game.”
Getting physical: Jackson worries about the Blazers’ impression of his team’s play.
Said Jackson: “I think they think we’re going to retaliate on Scottie for what he did to John Salley [a $10,000 fine for a flagrant elbow]. They’re just paranoid about it. Rick [Fox] is a physical player, but he’s not trying to take Scottie out. They can just relax.”
Said Pippen of Fox: “He’s just out there to disrupt the game. His play hasn’t been a factor throughout the whole playoffs.” Fox is averaging 4.3 points in this series.
