Wednesday, October 10, 2001
[ HAWAII NBA ]
Lakers foiled again Dave Cowens was just looking for a little respect.
The NBA champs seemed to
leave the islands at halftime,
allowing Golden State
to blow them outBy Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comHis Warriors (aka Woe-iors last season at 17-65) had much to prove. And what better way than to pick apart the two-time defending NBA champs two times in three nights?
Golden State, tough at the line and even tougher on defense, routed the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-88, in front of 9,227 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
At halftime, it was a 1-point game (46-45).
At the end of the third quarter, it was over.
Golden State came out of the locker room at intermission and outscored Los Angeles, 38-13. The Warriors forced three shot-clock violations and an 8-second backcourt violation in disrupting the Lakers' vaunted offensive flow.
"We let the horse out of the barn and she was long gone,'' said Los Angeles assistant Jim Cleamons.
The Warriors rode the Lakers into the ground with 15 steals, multiple fastbreaks and crowd-pleasing dunks. The pro-Los Angeles crowd was particularly impressed with Jason Richardson's 360-slam following a steal that put Golden State up, 94-60, with nine minutes left in the game.
Cowens said he had no magic locker room words for his team, which held a 46-45 halftime lead.
"I don't think I said anything more than to keep up the pressure and to maintain the defense,'' said Cowens. "They kept their focus, made the corrections. I can't ask for a better effort from these men.
"We had something to prove. We're trying to regain the respect of the rest of the basketball world.
"It's been a great trip.''
The teams meet again next Tuesday in Bakersfield, Calif.
To be fair, the Lakers were without Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher and Brian Shaw.
Kobe Bryant played 21 minutes, just six minutes in the second half.
Cleamons said he wanted to play certain combinations, mostly with reserves, and stuck with his gamplan even after Golden State began to pull away.
"We know we already guys that can handle the defensive pressure,'' he said, "but everyone has to learn."
Antawn Jamison scored 17 points and Mookie Blaylock 16 to lead Golden State. Richardson finished with 14.
For Los Angeles, Lindsey Hunter had a team-high 13, including 3 3-pointers in the first quarter that help stake the Lakers to a 12-point lead. Joe Crispin, a 6-foot rookie guard from Penn State who didn't even play in Sunday's 99-89 defeat added 12, all in the fourth quarter.