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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal had an explanation for his
sluggish start against the Phoenix Suns -- he got too much rest
before Sunday's game.
"I just tried something new last night," he said with a smile.
"I went to bed at 11. I usually go to bed at midnight or later. I
haven't gone to bed at 11 for about eight years. I was sluggish, I
picked it up."
|  | | Kobe Bryant drives past Shawn Marion for a first-quarter hoop Sunday. |
O'Neal overcame a 1-for-7 shooting performance in the first
quarter to score 37 points, grab 14 rebounds and block four shots
as the Los Angeles Lakers trounced the Suns 105-77 in the opener of
their Western Conference semifinals.
Just about every member of the Suns, or so it seemed, took a
turn guarding O'Neal, and after the first quarter, no one had much
luck.
"When I get the ball in the blue area, there's not much anybody
can do," he said. "I'm a pretty skillful big guy."
The Suns certainly agreed.
"There's a way you can stop him, it's just not legal," said
Corie Blount, a former Laker. "He's hitting jump-hooks, turnaround
shots, I give that credit to him. Once he's doing that, you can't
do much."
Said Cliff Robinson: "Shaq's a tough player. It's hard to stop
him with one player. We're going to have to try and do something
different."
Game 2 will be Wednesday night at Staples Center before the
best-of-seven series moves to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4.
"I thought our players looked tired in the first half, they got
a little bit of an energy boost in the third quarter," Lakers
coach Phil Jackson said. "In the first quarter, I saw Shaq was
struggling a little bit to get up and down the court, and the pace
elevated a little too quick. We had to bring it back down to our
pace."
Kobe Bryant added 25 points for the Lakers. Anfernee Hardaway
led the Suns with 25 points, while Robinson, who battled foul
problems, added 13 and rookie Shawn Marion had 12.
Jason Kidd, playing just his second game since breaking his left
ankle March 22, was held to three points, seven rebounds and seven
assists. Rodney Rogers, voted the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, was
only 3-of-13 from the field and scored seven points.
"We put pressure on Jason and tried to take them out of their
offense and not let him initiate things so smoothly," Bryant said.
O'Neal made the game's first shot before missing his final six
attempts in the first quarter, when he scored four points.
After that, with the likes of Luc Longley, Robinson, Blount,
Oliver Miller, Rogers, and occasionally others, trying to defend
him, the Suns had minimal success.
"Shaq is Shaq," Suns coach Scott Skiles said. "I know him as
well as I know any player in the league, I played with him for two
years (in Orlando). He's your MVP of the league. It's up to us to
do something now to slow him down."
O'Neal's dominance was never more evident than one sequence
early in the third quarter. He missed from close range, got the
rebound over Longley, missed again, got the rebound again, and
scored.
Five straight points by O'Neal gave the Lakers a 69-54 lead with
three minutes left in the third quarter, and shortly thereafter,
the sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center broke out the chant
of "MVP, MVP."
It was 75-60 entering the final quarter, and the Lakers then
went on a 15-4 run to clinch the victory. O'Neal came out of the
game for good with 4:25 remaining.
The Suns hurt themselves by committing 23 turnovers to 12 for
the Lakers.
"They scored 28 points of our turnovers, we scored four off
theirs; there's the game right there," Skiles said.
Phoenix entered the game rested, having eliminated the defending
NBA champion San Antonio Spurs last Tuesday night. The Lakers,
meanwhile, were extended to five games by Sacramento, winning the
finale 113-86 Friday night.
Those factors turned out to be of little consequence as the
Lakers made it five wins in as many games against the Suns this
season, and 17-3 in the last 20 games between the teams.
The Lakers shot only 5-of-23 in the first quarter. However,
thanks to seven Phoenix turnovers, the game was tied 18-all
entering the second period.
O'Neal then came alive, making six of eight shots and scoring 14
points as the Lakers took a 46-41 halftime lead, and they were on
top the rest of the way.
Game notes
The Suns and Lakers are meeting for the ninth time in the
playoffs, and the first time since 1993, when the heavily favored Suns
lost the first two games in a first-round series before winning the
final three to advance. ... Kidd, who returned to action last
Tuesday night and played 31 minutes in his team's series-clinching
89-78 victory over the Spurs, said before the game he felt
confident his ankle was healed. "It's a matter of getting in
basketball shape," he added. ... The Lakers have won 21 of their
last 22 games at Staples Center since being beaten 95-91 by
Portland on Jan. 22. ... The Suns have won 11 of their last 16 road
games including one of two at San Antonio in the playoffs. ... The
Suns didn't shoot a free throw until Kevin Johnson made two with
9:56 remaining in the second quarter. By that time, the Lakers were
7-of-8.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Get a grip: 23 turnovers doom Suns
RECAPS
Miami 87
New York 83
Portland 94
Utah 75
LA Lakers 105
Phoenix 77
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Scott Skiles was unhappy with the Suns' play Sunday.
wav: 138 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Shaquille O'Neal explains his play Sunday vs. the Suns.
wav: 107 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Kobe Bryant doesn't mind the Suns' sloppy play.
wav: 68 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Anfernee Hardaway says Phoenix made bad plays against the Lakers.
wav: 72 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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