No worries

Lakers still upbeat about prospects for fourth title

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- One constant with the Los Angeles Lakers is their unshakable confidence.

Whether they're 3-9 or 11-19, as they were earlier this season, or 48-32, as they are now, they believe.

Success in the form of three straight NBA championships will do that.

So now, despite their sixth-place standing in the Western Conference, the Lakers look forward to shooting for a fourth title when the playoffs begin this weekend.

"This is truly going to be a remarkable challenge, what we're trying to do," guard Derek Fisher said after practice Monday. "For all of us as individuals, we wouldn't be here if we didn't love challenges.

"We've done it for three years, we plan on doing it a fourth year. We respect the challenges, we respect the teams, we still believe we're going to do it."

And if the Lakers do make it four straight?

"Considering the way we started this season, everything we went through, the way we were maligned, the position we put ourselves in, I think it will be extremely emotional," Fisher said.

In all likelihood, the Lakers lost a chance at finishing fourth in the West and getting homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs when they lost 101-99 at Portland on Sunday, snapping their six-game winning streak.

The only way they can get back to fourth is by beating visiting Denver on Tuesday night and winning at Golden State on Wednesday night while Portland loses against Phoenix on Tuesday and at the Clippers on Wednesday and Minnesota loses at Memphis on Wednesday.

If all three contending teams win out, the Lakers will open the playoffs on the road Saturday or Sunday -- probably at Dallas.

If they eliminate the Mavericks and form prevails otherwise, the Lakers would then have to beat San Antonio and Sacramento to reach the NBA Finals without having homecourt advantage in a single series.

"It's another challenge," Rick Fox said. "I think we were resigned to it a lot earlier this year. To be at home for at least one round was something we talked about vaguely. If not, we're ready to head out on the road.

"Winning a championship, you have to win on the road regardless of whether you have homecourt advantage. We have done that the last three years. We'll have to do a better job of that than we have (this season)."

The Lakers were 15-8 including 4-6 on the road in the playoffs three years ago; 15-1 including 8-0 on the road two years ago, and 15-4 including 7-2 on the road last year.

Through 40 road games this season, the Lakers have an 18-22 record. If they beat the hapless Nuggets (17-63) on Tuesday night, they'll finish with a 31-10 home record capped by 15 straight wins.

The Mavericks, Spurs and Kings all have 58 or more victories this season -- 10 more than the Lakers.

But that won't matter starting this weekend; everyone's 0-0.

"That's what it should be, that's what playoff basketball is all about -- cream of the crop," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I think we have the right energy going in, we have no fear factor in our orientation."

And, Jackson pointed out, the Lakers have Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant -- perhaps the NBA's two best players.

In addition, there's Jackson, whose nine championships as a head coach ties him with former Boston coach Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history.

The Lakers are trying to become the second NBA team to win as many as four straight championships. The Boston Celtics won eight in a row -- from 1959-66.

 

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