LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Los Angeles Lakers are confident they can wrap up their Western Conference semi-final against the Houston Rockets today, despite having driven their fans to distraction with wildly erratic performances.
Under-strength Houston upset the top-seeded Lakers 95-80 on Thursday to level the best-of-seven series at 3-3 and force a deciding game at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” an upbeat Lakers coach Phil Jackson told reporters after his team had been outplayed by the inspired Rockets in Houston. “It’s just a game and we’re just going to go out there and play.
“It’s our home court. In the last game (at Staples Center) we beat them by whatever. We play a different game on our home court, and it’s pretty obvious to see.”
Jackson was referring to the 118-78 blowout by the Lakers in Game Five on Tuesday after they had been stunned 99-87 by the Rockets two days earlier in Houston.
However, many Lakers fans will not feel anywhere near as certain, given that their beloved team succumbed to a surprise 100-92 home-court loss to the Rockets in the series opener.
Over the course of the six games, undermanned Houston have displayed great heart and grit, and are now stunningly poised to advance to the Conference final.
Having begun the semi-final series without Dikembe Mutombo and Tracy McGrady, the Rockets suffered an even bigger blow losing injured All-Star Yao Ming after game three.
HOUSTON HEART
“This team has so much heart and they don’t care what people say,” Houston coach Rick Adelman said. “Yao went down and we haven’t blinked an eye. We’re just playing to see how far we can take it and you’ve got to give them credit.
“All I’ve heard was that we weren’t going back to L.A. and the guys in our locker room didn’t believe that,” he added, referring to Sunday’s game seven.
Lakers guard Bryant, who helped the Los Angeles outfit win three consecutive NBA championships from 2000-2002, applauded Houston’s effort in the series.
“I said after the last game they’re not a chump team and they’re not. They play hard, and they will play hard in game seven,” he said.
“They all have the same mentality, they all fight for everything that they get. That’s why we’re in the position that we’re in right now. They don’t quit.”
Bryant conceded the Lakers, Western Conference champions, had to develop more consistency if they were to clinch their first NBA title since 2001-02.
“You’ve just got to grind these things out,” he said. “We could be playing much better on a more consistent basis, but we’re not. The key right now is to win, by any means necessary.
“(Then) try and get ready for the next one,” Bryant added, looking ahead to the Denver Nuggets who have already reached the Conference final.
The Lakers have been widely tipped to battle with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA championship, after ending the regular season with a commanding 65-17 win-loss record in the Western Conference.
