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American Morning
Lakers Shoot for Another Title Tonight
Aired June 15, 2001 - 10:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Here we are quickly to Nancy Newman so she can have plenty of time for sports.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Shaq time.
NANCY NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, yeah. Let's hoop it up.
Tonight could be the night the Lakers secure their second straight NBA title. Head coach and Zen master Phil Jackson says his team has come of age. Winning a championship can do that to you and L.A. has been particularly effective on the road, which is where they will play tonight, leading three games to one versus the Sixers in Philadelphia.
To set the hardwood stage, here is CNN "Sports Illustrated's" Tom Rinaldi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM RINALDI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One win away, determination versus desperation, execution against extinction. For the Lakers, the biggest difference between last year's champions and this year's contenders might be brutal efficiency. With their first chance to finish an opponent this post-season, the Lakers have been perfect. If you're down already, you're out soon after.
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, LAKERS CENTER: We've been pretty good at close out games this year and, you know, we're a different team this year. We're a more veteran savvy team and I know my guys are going to be ready.
ERIC SNOW, SIXERS GUARD: You don't be a 10 percent team and you don't sweep the Western Conference without having the killer instinct in you.
DEREK FISHER, LAKERS GUARD: If we apply the right pressure to, you know, the right pressure at the right time, you know, we can fully take advantage of their team and go ahead and close the series out.
PHIL JACKSON, LAKERS HEAD COACH: It's just a maturation, I think, of a group and it's been quite noticeable this year, especially on the road.
RINALDI: In last year's finals, L.A. had a chance to finish the Pacers in Indianapolis in game five. They responded by getting blown out. A year later, the Lakers face the same challenge, this time in Philadelphia, this time as a team that hasn't lost on the road all post-season.
KOBE BRYANT, LAKERS GUARD: Last year I think we couldn't wait to be champions, you know? We were looking forward to being champions before the game even started. And I think we kind of got ahead of ourselves. I think this year we're more experienced to know that we have a game to play and we have to take it quarter by quarter.
JACKSON: There's a desperation that they play at and if you can't meet that intensity, you're going to be behind, and that happened to us last year. It was embarrassing to us last year.
AARON MCKIE, SIXERS GUARD FORWARD: When you back anybody up against the wall, you know, they going to try to scratch your eyes our or find some kind of way to protect themselves and, you know, that's the situation we find ourselves in now.
LARRY BROWN, SIXERS HEAD COACH: We've got to figure out a way to win and not worry about whether this is a close out game or not, whether they want to go back to L.A. and celebrate in L.A. or whether we want to get on a plane.
RINALDI (on camera): Friday night, the Lakers will have much to play for. A loss won't cost them the title and returning to L.A. they'd still have at least two more chances. But a win would give them the best post-season record in history and single them out as a team that could close out and close in on the record books.
At the finals in Philadelphia, I'm Tom Rinaldi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWMAN: Thank you, Tom. As you mentioned, the Lakers have not lost on the road this season. In fact, they have not been beaten away from home since late March in Phoenix. Hard to believe this was a season of discontent within the ranks at the onset. Remember that old Shaq and Kobe thing?
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