Monday, June 11 In the end, Lakers know how to get job done By Wayne Drehs ESPN.com PHILADELPHIA -- Game 3 Sunday of the NBA Finals started with a movie clip from "Remember the Titans," in which Denzel Washington rallies his high school football players by refusing to let them quit. The veteran leadership of players like Robert Horry (5) and Shaquille O'Neal is proving to be the difference for the Lakers "The season is not over," Washington barks out. "We did not come this far to just break down and lose now. We are winners. We are going to win." Also sandwiched between tip-off and the final buzzer Sunday were inspirational movie clips from "Rocky" and "Braveheart." In the "Rocky" bit, Adrian says to her man, "There's only one thing left to do now -- win." But it appears that only one team in these NBA Finals knows how to do that with the game on the line. For all the noise about heart, hard work, desire and the will to win, the Los Angeles Lakers have shown they possess the most important intangible of all -- experience. For the second consecutive game, the Lakers found themselves on the ropes against the resilient and pesky Philadelphia 76ers, only to prevail in a game they probably shouldn't have won. Two starters, Shaquille O'Neal and Derek Fisher, fouled out in the fourth quarter. Sixers guard Allen Iverson scored a game-high 35 points. Center Dikembe Mutombo had arguably his best game of the postseason with 23 points and 12 rebounds. And the crowd in the First Union Center was louder than anything back in Los Angeles. Yet it was the Lakers who came out on top. "The word that comes to mind is perseverance," said Fisher. "This is a tough basketball team. We fought through every bad situation, bad plays, bad mistakes. We fought through everything and came out of here with a win." Though the Sixers boast about their heart, it's difficult for anyone to match the playoff experience of these Lakers. They are not only the defending NBA champions, but had a long, difficult postseason journey last season to get to that spot. How else can you explain losing the most dominant NBA player in the most crucial of times and still coming out on top? "We have players that make critical plays," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We're very pleased with the way we respond to pressure and the way we respond to difficult things. "There's no playoffs that doesn't have its critical moments. Most games have them and we have players that can step in and be effective." Sunday, that player was Robert Horry, who scored the Lakers' final seven points. Friday, it was Fisher, who bounced back from a disappointing performance in Game 1 to bury a critical 3-pointer late in regulation. "We play through anything," forward Kobe Bryant said. "All we're trying to do is just execute and no matter if the ball bounces our way or the call doesn't go our way, we don't try to get down too much. We try to play through it as much as we possibly can." That was quite the challenge Sunday, as the Sixers climbed back from a 13-point second-half deficit to close to one on three different occasions in the fourth quarter. But the Lakers responded, scoring on each of the three possessions that followed Philadelphia coming that close. In each of those possessions, the Lakers were without O'Neal. "It's all about the experience," Fisher said. "You can't replace it. No matter how tough you are or how good you are physically, a lot of winning is experience. It's something you just learn. We showed the composure that championship teams must show." The feeling of comfort in the final minutes was something that was missing from the Sixers, who made just one of their final seven attempts and often appeared confused when running their late-game offensive sets. The Lakers, meanwhile, had little trouble, getting a clutch pull-up shot from Kobe Bryant, a wide-open 3 from Robert Horry and four free throws from Horry to seal the outcome. "They made great shots, great plays," said Philly guard Eric Snow. "We had a few things we could have done differently, but you have to tip your hat off to the Lakers. They get into a situation where they lose Shaq and still know exactly what they need to do." And in persevering, Fisher said, it will pull the team even closer together for a critical Game 4. "This gives us more of a sense of pride. It actually connects you any time you feel like you persevered as a group," Fisher said. "It wasn't an individual effort tonight, it was our entire team sticking together and that always carries over. We'll carry over the toughness and heart we showed into the series." And in doing so, they just might return some normalcy to these Finals and put away the resilient Sixers for good. "We don't care what your problem is, we don't care how big your heart is. We don't give a damn," Bryant said. "We just want to come and beat you." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

ALSO SEE Bryant, Horry help Lakers silence Philly fans Frozen Moment: Horry answers call for Lakers Dr. Jack: Sixers miss golden opportunity Sixers' Lynch says he's 'probable' for Game 4 No one came to help Iverson and Mutumbo