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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Livin' large and livin' easy.
SUMMING IT ALL UP
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Quote of the Night
"I wouldn't. I would just go home. I'd fake an injury or something."
-- Shaq when asked how he would defend himself.
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Shaq |
ESPN.com's Report Card
Player of the game? Well, how can you argue with selecting the league MVP? All Shaquile O'Neal did was dominate from the opening tap, with 15 points in the first quarter, 10 more in the third, and 12 more in the final quarter to put the game away. The LVP for the game? A certain sharpshooter didn't have one of his better nights. Click here for our comprehensive Report Card for Game 1 as we break down everyone's game.
Why the Lakers won
The prevailing thought before the series was that Shaq would get his points, but stopping Kobe would be key. Well that theory might have to be put to rest. Shaq scored pretty much at will, but three other Lakers scored in double figures and shot 13-for-24 overall (Kobe Bryant, Ron Harper and Rick Fox). Because of Reggie Miller's putrid shooting, the Lakers got enough overall offense and held a 48-36 rebounding edge.
Why the Pacers lost
If Reggie Miller had made just a few more shots -- he missed 15 of 16 -- all might have been different, despite Shaq torturing the Pacers' front line. Take away Miller's line, and the Pacers shot a terrific 33-for-60. However, you can't do that. Miller missed all four of his shots in the fourth when the game was tight and never got in any rhythm. Shaq put a shot back in his face, and so did Robert Horry. Shooters shoot, and Reggie says he'll be back firing Friday.
Number of the Game
Shaq has had some big scoring nights in the past, so this isn't even close to a career game in that regard. But scoring 43 in your first-ever win in the NBA Finals isn't anything like dropping 61 on the Clippers. Scoring 43 on this stage is pretty significant. |
43 |
Experts' Final Word: David Aldridge
"Shaq was clearly dominant tonight, easily able to get position and beat guys to his spot. Indiana was not very effective on double teams, no matter where it was. Shaq was able to shoot over the double teams and pass out of them if needed. He was the best player on the floor and set the tone.
"The Pacers had an opportunity to get back and did, but with Reggie's night like that it's difficult to win. The Pacers have to figure out how to double team effectively and get there quicker and into the right spots. If they let Shaq catch the ball three feet from the basket, he'll kill them. And Reggie will be fine. He had a lot of open looks, and he's been hitting them for 13 years. He just started pressing."
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That was how Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers began the NBA Finals.
O'Neal put up numbers worthy of a champion, scoring 43 points
and grabbing 19 rebounds as Los Angeles opened a big lead early,
stayed comfortably ahead most of the way and defeated the Indiana
Pacers 104-87 in Game 1 on Wednesday night.
"I just got the ball in deep position and took high percentage
shots," O'Neal said. "If those shots are falling, we're going to
be a tough team to beat."
As expected, O'Neal was an unstoppable force against an opponent
with few options for slowing him down. Whether they single-teamed
him or used double-coverage, nothing really worked for the Pacers
in trying to stop the Lakers' 7-foot-1 MVP.
Making 12 layups and dunks, six jumpers from inside 12 feet and
three hook shots, O'Neal had everything working. He shot 21-for-31
and left to a standing ovation with 2:33 remaining after throwing
down his final dunk of the night to give the Lakers a 98-81 lead.
"When he gets in that kind of groove, you've got to get the
ball to him," teammate Kobe Bryant said.
O'Neal also had three blocks and four assists, getting two of
those assists early in the fourth quarter after the Pacers had
their lone strong stretch of the night to pull within two points.
It was O'Neal's highest-scoring game since getting 46 points in
Game 1 of the first round against Sacramento. He also had big games
in his other two Game 1s, scoring 37 against Phoenix in the second
round and 41 against Portland in the conference finals.
O'Neal's 21 field goals were one shy of the Finals record shared by Elgin Baylor of the Lakers and Rick Barry of the San Francisco Warriors.
"Things will change," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He's
the frontal piece of our offensive machinery, our main weapon.
Teams make adjustments, and we'll have to counter that and find
offense from other players."
Bryant added 14 points, Ron Harper had 12 and Rick Fox 11 for
the Lakers, who didn't have the emotional letdown their coach
feared after their stunning comeback in Game 7 of the Western
Conference finals.
Instead, it was Indiana's Reggie Miller who shrunk under the pressure, shooting an abysmal 1-for-16 and scoring just seven
points.
"Just one of those off nights," Miller said of his career
playoff-low for points. "Friday will be an on night."
Mark Jackson led Indiana with 18 points, while Austin Croshere
added 16 and Jalen Rose and Rik Smits had 12 apiece.
Los Angeles outrebounded Indiana 48-36 and controlled the game
in so many ways, giving credence to those who argued that the
Lakers present too many matchup problems for a Pacers team that
could be overwhelmed in his best-of-seven series.
O'Neal got going right way. His line at the end of the first quarter read 15 points, on 7-for-8 shooting, five rebounds and one assist -- the latter stat coming when he passed out of a triple-team and found Harper alone in the corner for a 3-pointer that made it
33-16 late in the quarter.
Harper made all three of his shots in the first quarter while
Bryant went 4-for-6, twice driving through traffic with ease to
convert a dunk and layup. Los Angeles shot 15-for-22 in the
quarter.
"It wasn't that easy, though it may have looked that way," Fox
said. "We were just so prepared not to have a letdown. We wanted
to set the tone for this series."
As well as things went for O'Neal, they were equally bad for Miller as he missed all six of his shots in the first quarter.
|  | | With Shaq scoring at will all night, the Pacers had just no answer. |
Miller had his first shot of the second quarter emphatically
rejected by Robert Horry and didn't score from the field until past
the midpoint of the third quarter. He missed every shot he took the
rest of the night.
"I've never really seen him off for two straight games,"
O'Neal said. "I know he'll come ready Friday."
Indiana pulled within six early in the third on a 3-pointer by
Rose, but O'Neal scored on a putback, Horry dunked off a feed from
Bryant and Fox scored on a give-and-go layup off an assist by Derek
Fisher to quickly build the lead back to 12.
The Lakers were having their way with ease, no matter which end
of the court they were on. Midway through the third quarter,
Jackson drove to the basket and had his shot swatted away by
Bryant. O'Neal then converted a short jumper, drew Smits' fifth
foul and banked in a putback for a 69-57 lead.
That was about the point when the Pacers started executing their
offense as well as they had all night. Three foul shots by Miller,
a three-point play by Jackson, consecutive baskets by Dale Davis
and a reverse layup by Jackson made it 71-69, giving the Lakers
their first scare of the night.
But Los Angeles got its lead back to six by the end of the third
quarter, and O'Neal had a dunk and two assists in the first two
minutes of the fourth as the Lakers quickly got their lead back to
double digits.
"That was the big fella," Fox said. "We've been riding his
back all year. They decided to single-cover him before they sent
help in the second half, but at that point he had 30 under his
belt. That makes his energy go up a notch and makes him difficult
to double-team."
It turned into a blowout from there as the Lakers closed the
game with a 33-18 run.
Game notes
Among the courtside regulars, actress Salma Hayek made the
boldest fashion statement by wearing a purple wig. ... Pacers
third-string center Zan Tabak, who won a championship in 1995 with Houston, played the final 32 seconds of the first half. Tabak
hadn't seen any action since the second round against Philadelphia.
... Pacers forward Chris Mullin got into the game with 6:33 left in the fourth. He did not score. ... Lakers rookie Devean George sat
out with a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be available for
Game 2.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Indiana at Los Angeles
Frozen moment: Shaq's super block
X factor: Miller goes down shooting
RECAPS
AUDIO/VIDEO
 ESPN Radio's Dr. Jack Ramsay gives his analysis of the Lakers' Game 1 victory.
RealVideo: | 28.8
Mark Jackson joins ESPN's Dan Patrick following the Pacers' loss to L.A.
RealVideo: | 28.8
Shaq speaks with ESPN's Dan Patrick following his spectacular Game 1 performance.
RealVideo: | 28.8
 Reggie Miller gives a stern warning to the Lakers.
wav: 147 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Shaquille O'Neal knows the series is going to get tougher.
wav: 97 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Austin Croshere and the Pacers will have to make adjustments for Game 2.
wav: 187 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are not taking the Pacers lightly.
wav: 101 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
It was an off-night for Reggie Miller, who promises a better Game 2 performance.
wav: 246 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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