Offensive Challenges Are Suddenly Significant

It might not be a coincidence that the Lakers’ last two losses have come against teams that they were facing for the third time this season--division rivals Seattle and Portland.

Both teams, especially the Trail Blazers with Scottie Pippen, took away some of the choice options of the triangle offense.

Tonight, the Lakers try to stay perfect in three meetings with the Utah Jazz.

“Right now, we’re facing a challenge,” Kobe Bryant said. “And we’ve got to step up to the plate. . . . We’ve got to go through all the offensive options, go to the third and fourth options instead of breaking it down on the second option.”

Coach Phil Jackson said that, after a strong first half Saturday against Portland, his players started missing open shots and then got frustrated with the double-teams on Shaquille O’Neal.

“Just not executing sharply enough,” Jackson said. “They had two people that were sinking off of A.C. [Green] and Ron [Harper]. They were trying to cover the post with those two sinking ballplayers, or trapping Shaq with those two sinking players.

“In the first half, we caught them, hit our shots [making 60% of their field-goal tries]. . . . But in the second half, we didn’t shoot that percentage. . . . And then we started going away from that, trying to do it on our own and ultimately got caught in a total letdown in the fourth period.”

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Jackson didn’t hide his opinion of Bryant’s one-on-one play that led to a turnover at the end of the third quarter and then Bryant’s fourth foul when he tried to steal the ball.

“Terrible decision,” Jackson said. “It actually cost him the opportunity to have a great game. That’s what we call getting something delivered in spades--made a mistake and it comes back to really haunt us and him in a critical situation [because Bryant eventually fouled out].”

TONIGHT

at Utah Jazz

5 p.m.

Channel 9, TBS

* Site--Delta Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 33-8, Jazz 26-12.

* 1999-2000 record vs. Jazz--2-0.

* Update--The Lakers, who opened the season with a victory at Salt Lake City, have a chance to sweep regular-season road games in Utah for the first time since 1985-86.