Now Is Critical Time for Lakers

They didn’t collectively shave their heads, like the Charlotte Hornets in a sign of unity, though at least Vlade Divac had the benefit of knowing his would completely grow back in about 10 minutes.

They didn’t call out an opponent that had defeated them in five of the last eight games that included a playoff defeat a year ago, like the Portland Trail Blazers in a sign of bravado, or stupidity.

They haven’t done anything different, so these remain the Lakers as they were all season, for better (11-0 at the start, 22-3 at the end) or worse (the 28-18 minefield in between). They start the playoffs tonight against the Trail Blazers at the Great Western Forum in the best-of-five first-round series with so much on their side in the quest for a championship, and so few on their side believing they can make it.

Good thing they have always devoured doubters as fuel, whether in the form of hostile crowds on the road or critics within their own league. The Lakers make a convincing argument that they have the best combination of size and speed, the best raw talent, the best versatility to handle any matchup, and the best big man . . . and they still have a conversion rate of getting people to trust in them worse than Shaquille O’Neal has at the line.

It’s not that the Lakers are too young, it’s that they act too young--too often not focused enough to now suddenly be able to sustain it for seven weeks.

The reputation has been well-earned, of course, through much of this season and at the end of the last one in the playoffs, when the Lakers got a lesson from the Utah Jazz on mental approach.

If everyone around the league remembers, they’re not alone. The Lakers do too.

“We just have to redeem ourselves,” O’Neal acknowledged. “For this organization to step forward, we’ve got to go farther than last year.”

That means getting past the second round, which requires knocking off the Trail Blazers, who split four games against the Lakers in the regular season, and then probably the Seattle SuperSonics, who beat the Lakers three of four times. It should help that these are hardly the feared Trail Blazers of this time a year ago, what with losses in three of the final five games, including to the Denver Nuggets and Vancouver Grizzlies.

It should also help that these are the Trail Blazers who run their mouths.

The Lakers made note of it last season, beat Portland in four games in the best-of-five first-round series, and they have made note of it again. They know all about Isaiah Rider saying, “Everyone has written us off, but some of us wanted this team, and we got them. They have a lot of firepower, but they can be beat. They’re a young team, they make a lot of mistakes.”

And they know about Walt Williams saying, “This is our chance to wake up America and shock the nation.”

And Damon Stoudamire saying, “They haven’t won a championship, they haven’t proven anything in the playoffs. Who is their go-to guy in the fourth quarter--Shaq? Kobe Bryant? Nick Van Exel? They have as many questions to answer as we do.”

And Rider also saying, “You want to beat the Lakers. You want to shock the world. I want to be part of the team that breaks their heart.”

And so on.

“It pumps me up,” Bryant said. “I think everyone gets pumped up by it. They want us? They got us. Let’s get it on.”

It’s as if this is a rivalry or something.

“I think it’s more of a rivalry for them than us,” Bryant said.

That doesn’t even get into Gauntlet Throwing Down, Individual Division. Eddie Jones against I-Can-Post-Him-Up-All-Day Rider.

If Rider has gone after the Lakers in general, he has specifically targeted Jones, just as in the first round last year, when Jones responded by outshooting him (59.3%-37.2%) and grabbing twice as many rebounds and being outscored by only three points despite playing 20 fewer minutes.

Jones, more excited for these playoffs than any before, comes ready for Rider more than ever.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Pause.

“I say that with a smile on my face. I think it’s going to be real interesting. I’m happy to be playing against him. There were a lot of things that were said early in the season that I read in USA Today, but you know how I am when things are said. They say whatever. Now we just got to go out and play.

“I’m confident in myself. Just going out, playing hard, tough defense on him. I’m not trying to go out and make it a J.R. Rider-Eddie Jones thing. I just want to go out and play well. If my offense isn’t there, playing good defense. I know I can give something for our team.”

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TONIGHT’S GAME:

Lakers vs. Portland

Time: 7:30

TV: FSW

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UTAH FALLS

Houston upsets West’s top team, 103-90. C7