50 Years of Lakers Memories - The Greatest Game Ever

• dEDGE Post Scriptum •

Perhaps more surprising than the 13-point deficit that the Los Angeles Lakers faced in the final quarter of play, was the relative ease in which the Portland Trailblazers had managed to manhandle them. Brian Shaw’s otherwise meaningless, desperation 3-pointer at the end the third period would eventually loom very large in a deciding 4th quarter. But just prior to that shot, it was a relapse into another, all-too-familiar, post-Showtime disappointment. Plant yourself in my shoes, I grew up during

Kobe drives on Jermaine O'Neal and Detlef Schrempf during the 1999-2000 Western Conference Finals. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

Jerry and Wilt, fell in love with Magic and Showtime, and had just endured the longest dry spell of my adult Lakers life. Magic Johnson’s abrupt retirement; years of rumored comebacks only to be disappointed again, tearing it all down and rebuilding on the run while trying to maintain my faith in Jerry West; getting another HOF center in Shaquille O’Neal only to fall short year after year; finally assembling a worthy supporting cast and coaching staff that ultimately led to this – on the verge of a trip to the NBA Finals after over a decade had passed since the last championship banner was raised, only to be faltering in a Game 7 when it mattered most.

Scottie Pippen was unable to slow down the younger, more talented Kobe Bryant. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

Not again. This can’t be happening. Why did we let Anthony Peeler go? Steve Smith, yes, that Steve Smith, had just powered the Blazers to a scorching 21-4 run that propelled them to a seemingly insurmountable 71-55 lead at the end of three quarters of play. Even more impressive was that the Blazers had come back from a 3-1 series hole to even up the 2000 Western Conference Finals at 3-3. Shaw’s lucky 3-pointer provided little solace to Laker fans as Portland increased their lead as play resumed in the 4th quarter. Portland was retooled precisely for this type of battle, full of savvy and playoff tested veterans. Scottie Pippen, fresh off his run of championships with the Chicago Bulls was the centerpiece of a team that also featured Rasheed Wallace, Brian Grant, Arvidis Sabonis, Damon Stoudamire, Smith, Detlef Schrempf, Bonzi Wells, Greg Anthony and Jermaine O’Neal. The Lakers had just completed a 67-15 record capped by O’Neal’s MVP regular season, had marched through the playoffs with a tough 3-2 win over the Sacramento Kings and a 4-1 dismantling of the Phoenix Suns. Portland needed just 12-minutes of average basketball to complete their miraculous journey back from the dead, but instead hit the proverbial wall and have never recovered since.

Although he struggled offensively, Rick Fox provided a huge defensive lift in the 4th quarter. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

Bonzi Wells’ pair of free throws would push the Portland lead to 75-60 as nervous Laker fans looked ashen in disbelief. A red-hot Rasheed Wallace had torched the Lakers for 30-points, while Steve Smith added 18-points with ten of those coming in the lopsided 3rd quarter. But a funny thing happened just as things looked dire for the Lakers. The Blazers stopped playing and started celebrating. Oh, it wasn’t Lebron-like with dance moves and poses, but you could see the sly smiles and the confident grins growing on our Northwestern foes. And just as the Blazers started to ease up, the Lakers started to make a couple of shots. Then a couple more. Next thing you knew, it was a game again and the momentum had swung full circle in favor of the home team. Now Portland was panicking. Instead of the slashing, attacking offense that had given them the lead, they resorted to ill-advised, contested outside shots. Even the calls started to go in favor of the surging Lakers when Smith drove for a layup only to be denied into the ground. An irate Mike Dunleavy had just seen his veteran team blow up right before his very eyes. Critics had said that they weren’t enough basketballs to go around for this much talent on one team. And in the equivalent of a lucky, off balance, banked-in 3-pointer, it was all gone.

Robert Horry contributed 12-points to go along with 7 rebounds. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

This dramatic, come from behind victory had finally pushed the Lakers over the top. Brushing aside Indiana in the Finals was a cakewalk as the Lakers would subsequently hone their killer instincts in the Conference Finals each year. Portland was built for a title run, but those would never transpire. In fact, some would claim that the Blazers have yet to recover from that loss ten seasons ago. The signature play from that Game 7 remains the elusive Kobe Bryant sidestepping away from Scottie Pippen and lofting up a teardrop shot, which in turn becomes a pinpoint lob pass to a cutting Shaquille O’Neal, who slams the ball into the basket with such ferocity that the basket stanchions continue to shudder to this day. Portland would call time-out but they could have called the game right there, because it was over. We knew it, Chick knew it, and the Portland Blazers surely knew it as well. “Put away the champagne and break out the bottled water Portland, cuz that’s all you’ll be drinking on your way home.”

The 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

Brian Shaw would contribute two additional 3-pointers in the 4th quarter for a total of 11-points on 4-6 shooting. Robert Horry would provide 12-points, 7 rebounds, and one important blocked shot. Rick Fox could not find the range that night, but he provided stellar defense down the stretch and added 3 assists in 12-minutes of action. Ron Harper added 9-points, Glen Rice provided 11-points, and Shaq amassed 18-points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. But it was the play of Kobe Bryant (25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocked shots) who buoyed the Lakers until help arrived late in the game. Kobe owned Pippen and there was nothing the acerbic 6-time champion could do to slow down the fleet-footed, afro bearing phenom. The Blazers would mount another challenge the following season, but by that time, the Lakers were in complete control of the league en route to their first 3Peat. Whereas most of the players from that game have slipped away into the annuls of the game, only Kobe remains as active and effective today as he was then.

Think about it, that was ten years ago. Jack Nicholson was dating Lara Flynn Boyle. Kobe wasn’t married to Miss Vanessa Laine just yet. Pamela Anderson was still hot and Chris Rock was still funny. But the Lakers were just learning to cope with the difficulties associated with fame and stardom that often accompanied champions where ever they dared to venture. These difficulties would eventually destroy and tear the team apart, even though on the court these differences were discretely put aside and appeared to be nonexistent to the casual observer. With two alpha dogs, the Lakers were one team short of these two giants coinciding peacefully together. But that would be years down the line and an unprecedented amount of drama that would have to build up before the demise of this team. But for one season, and one pivotal Game 7 in particular, it was the greatest game I ever witnessed with the best 1-2 punch the NBA had ever seen.