At times during the 2001-02 season, the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers looked bored and complacent, and it continued into the opening rounds of the playoffs.
Even though L.A. got through the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs with just one loss, the team appeared to do the minimum that was necessary in the fourth quarter to notch a win.
The Western Conference Finals was a dream matchup: Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant going up against the 61-win Sacramento Kings.
Unlike the previous season, the Kings were now legitimate title contenders and even the favorites to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy. During the offseason, they had swapped exciting-but-erratic point guard Jason Williams for the steady and dependable Mike Bibby, and he looked to be the final piece.
When Game 1 started, the Lakers went from looking complacent to looking like their vintage selves from a year ago when they went 15-1 in the postseason.
They shot lights out, especially from the perimeter, and they got virtually any shot they wanted, while the Kings looked overwhelmed.
L.A. led 36-22 at the end of the first quarter, and although the Kings made several small runs afterward, each time, either O’Neal (26 points) or Bryant (30 points) kept them at bay.
The 106-99 final score wasn’t indicative of how much the Lakers outplayed their little brothers to the north.
As had been the case in 2001, one had to wonder if anyone could beat the Lakers in a best-of-seven. After all, they had just won 24 of their last 26 playoff games, as well as an NBA-record 12 consecutive road playoff contests.
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