Staples Center Definitely Not a Rose Garden

In sifting through the wreckage of Game 1, Indiana Coach Larry Bird returned to the scene of the accident Thursday--Staples Center--and took shots at the survivors.

Reggie Miller was the easiest target, after going one for 16 in the 104-87 loss to the Lakers.

But also taking a Bird blast after the Pacers’ morning practice was guard Jalen Rose, who took only 12 shots (making five) in 36 minutes Wednesday and did not attempt a field goal in the fourth quarter until there were fewer than three minutes to play.

That’s not what Indiana needs from the 6-foot-8 Rose, who was the Pacers’ leading scorer this season at 18.2 points a game.

“Jalen didn’t play,” Bird said. “You can look at Glen Rice, the guy he’s defending, and Glen Rice didn’t have a big offensive night. But as far as help goes, as far as being aggressive on the offensive end, Jalen wasn’t there last night. And he’ll be the first one to tell you.”

In response, Rose said, “Obviously, everyone wants to step up their level of play, myself included. I’m disappointed the way the game went, number one because we lost and, two, how I played individually.

“Even though it was Game 1, I felt I could have been a lot more aggressive and done a lot more things. I’m just glad it’s not a one-game series.”

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While Miller expects to rebound with a strong Game 2 offensively, he said he will not force his game.

“Knock on wood, I’ll never take really bad shots,” he said. “But understand, as the offense is run through [Shaquille O’Neal] for the Lakers, a lot of our plays are run for me. So I’m gonna have the ball in my hands.

“I’m not gonna just come down the court, pull up and shoot. You don’t have to shoot every time. But you can still be aggressive by taking the ball off the dribble, getting into the seams [of the defense], getting into the paint and creating shots for your teammates. To me, that’s being a part of the offense and being aggressive.”

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Thanks to some early jitters, Indiana center Rik Smits had a forgettable NBA finals debut. Smits, in his 12th NBA season, was overmatched against O’Neal in Game 1.

Smits scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, but he also turned the ball over four times and fouled out in 20 minutes. Meanwhile, O’Neal finished with 43 points and 19 rebounds.

“I had a little bit of [nerves] early on,” Smits said. “But after a couple of minutes they were gone. It’s been a long time. This is something new for us.”

Two years ago, many thought Smits’ career was over because of his nagging foot injuries. But for the last two seasons, Smits has worked with a physical therapist, recommended by Bird, and it is finally starting to pay off.

“I’ll make up my mind over the summer on what I am going to do next season, but I am definitely glad that I came back,” said Smits, averaging 11.4 points in the playoffs. “My feet are doing a lot better. They’ve been great this season. I’ve had some other aches and pains . . . but my feet are feeling the best they’ve felt in the last five years.”