This Team Just Can't Seem to Remember Its Basic Training

By J.A. Adande

April 24, 2004 12 AM PT

HOUSTON — The Lakers have not followed the easy path all season, so why start now?

They bought themselves at least one more game in this series, denied themselves a shot at some much-needed time off and gave the Rockets the belief they’re back in it after an underwhelming Laker effort resulted in a 102-91 Houston victory.

In short, they made life much more difficult.

The Lakers still lead the first-round series, two games to one. But now that the Rockets have found something that works, the lead isn’t so commanding.

Notice how Laker fans weren’t chanting “Sweep!” after the Lakers took the first two games at Staples Center. They know better. The Lakers couldn’t take the shortcut if you gave them a map and a GPS.

Because they don’t take care of the basics.

It starts with Shaquille O’Neal and free throws. The Lakers would be fine if he made 60% of them and still like their chances with 50%. But 40% and below won’t work. It almost cost them Game 1 and contributed to their large deficit most of the night here in Game 3. It’s bound to pop up in another game. He made only five of 14 in this game, typical numbers for him lately.

Sometimes the Lakers show utter disdain for the little things, and one bad move often leads to another, just as one bad game can quickly turn from an aberration to trouble in the playoffs. Steve Francis gets into the lane for a jump shot, the Lakers don’t box out and Kelvin Cato gets the rebound, O’Neal bumps him and picks up a foul.

The Lakers weren’t rotating on defense, leaving the Rockets wide open for three-pointers. They figured to shoot better than the 23% they made from three-point range in the first two games once they returned to their own building. Firing up shots without a hand in their face made it that much easier; they hit nine of 16 three-pointers Friday.

The Lakers rarely know what they’re doing, rarely stick with whatever plans there are.

For once, O’Neal’s simplistic explanations are appropriate.

“We have to go with what works for us,” O’Neal said. “We’ve just got to play smart.”

Smart ball would be going inside to O’Neal when he’s got it working the way he did in the first quarter, when he had 11 points and two assists. But they didn’t make a point of finding him again until the fourth.

Kobe Bryant (seven for 20) didn’t have his radar locked in, and Gary Payton shot three for 12.

The Lakers found themselves down by as many as 16 points and the Toyota Center crowd was energized, spurring the Rockets on at every stretch.

So now the bounce is back in Francis’ step, the frown more deeply embedded in Payton’s face.

Tough to tell what bothered Payton more: getting outscored, 27-7, by Francis or not having a chance to do anything about it during the fourth quarter, which he sat out for the second consecutive game.

“Whatever Coach wants to do, let him do it,” Payton said, referring to Phil Jackson. “I’m just here to play basketball. I’m not even concentrating on that.”

Ever since the Rockets got back to Houston they’ve been talking about the need to play one great game, just to see what would happen. So they hit the Lakers with just about everything they had Friday and it was more than enough.

Anytime the Lakers top 100 points, they’re basically maxing out. They hit triple digits only 14 times during the regular season.

“They gave us their best shot,” Payton said. “They did what they had to do.”

What would happen if the Lakers played at their best? Maybe they’re waiting for the next round to show us.

They’re quickly running out of time. If they can’t get it together, come out with all of the energy needed for a road playoff game (hint: letting the opponent shoot 58% in the first quarter isn’t how it’s done), they’ll find themselves getting blown out by San Antonio.

The Lakers are tiptoeing through the first round, instead of stamping their feet. This was two games wrapped into one; win tonight and the Rockets would have folded the tent and called it a season. Now the Lakers are in for a battle here Sunday, plus another game back at Staples Wednesday.

They just can’t make life simple for themselves.

“If you tally up everything you’ve seen for eight months, it would be a pretty good assessment,” said Rick Fox, who’s still searching for his first point in the playoffs.

“I don’t think you’d have to really dig too deep to understand that our team isn’t going to make things too easy this year.

“It hasn’t been an easy run to successful stretches of basketball, whether it’s from week to week or quarter to quarter. A lot of it has to do with, once again the inability for us to have gotten to a place collectively as a unit to understand what each other is capable of doing in the triangle that will win you a championship if you understand it. We don’t have that luxury because we didn’t fully get to that place.”

That said, “It’s up to us then to do the little things on the defensive end, on the rebounding end to give ourselves the margin for error a greater chance,” Fox said.

Little things mean a lot. The basics, the fundamentals.

The Lakers wouldn’t know about that.

J.A. Adande can be reached at [email protected]. To read previous columns by Adande, go to latimes.com/adande.