Shaq Right on Target

MINNEAPOLIS — Given a game played in the uncertain places between fatigue and restlessness on Friday night, in a sometimes staid Game 1 of the best-of-seven Western Conference finals, the Lakers pressed the things that were familiar to them.

They gave the ball to Shaquille O’Neal, they gave Kobe Bryant some room and when the Minnesota Timberwolves really had to be put away, they found Derek Fisher on the wing, or in the corner, somewhere just out of everyone’s peripheral vision.

Left for something like underachievers not all that long ago, the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves, 97-88, at Target Center, retook home-court advantage lost over nearly six months of a so-so regular season, and will play Sunday to take a two-games-to-none lead back to Los Angeles.

From an 0-2 deficit in San Antonio on May 5, the Lakers have won five consecutive playoff games, eliminating the Spurs with the first four and taking early momentum against the Timberwolves with the last one.

“We caught them a little tired and they had little energy,” Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. “They can definitely have better nights. I think they’re still tired from the last series, but it’s good for us to get the home-court advantage back.”

Held up by MVP Kevin Garnett, the Timberwolves lost Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Sacramento Kings at Target Center and nearly lost Game 2 and rebounded to win in seven games, the last of them here on Wednesday. It gave them less than 48 hours to rest and prepare for the Lakers and, not surprisingly then, the Lakers won in the final minutes of the third and fourth quarters.

“So, we’re in the same situation we were in against Sacramento,” Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders said. “We’ve got to find a way to do some things.”

In the Jackson era, going on five years long, the Lakers have started 14 playoff series 1-0. They won the first 13.

Asked if their hope to get out of the Midwest with a 2-0 lead wasn’t a bit greedy, Fisher smiled and said, “I don’t think we look at it as greedy. We look at it as taking care of what’s ahead of us.”

At the end of nearly six days off, O’Neal had 27 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks. Bryant had 23 points, 14 in a second half Jackson particularly liked. The Lakers also made some use of Karl Malone, who grinded against Garnett (15 shots, 16 points) on the defensive end, and freed himself for 17 points on offense. He made eight of his last night shots, all after spraining his right ankle again in the first three minutes.

“My teammates came up large the whole game,” Malone said, then, of the ankle, added, “It hurts a little bit, but I’m all right.”

They had 29 assists in 37 field goals. O’Neal made nine of 11 free throws. Malone outscored Garnett. They had only eight turnovers.

And when the critical periods of the game arrived, and Timberwolves draped themselves on O’Neal, and they cut off Bryant’s path to the rim, that left Fisher, overlooked again, accurate again.

Having saved them from themselves with his Game 5, oh-point-four game-winner against the Spurs, Fisher scored 14 points against the Timberwolves. He made four of five three-pointers.

He scored eight points over the last 2:47 of the third quarter. From a 67-67 tie, Bryant found him 25 feet away on the right wing and Malone found him 25 feet away on the left wing. The Laker lead was 73-67.

“That’s what we all are here for,” Fisher said. “It doesn’t matter who gets it done on championship teams.”

Often on the floor with four superstars, Fisher said, “It’s up to the rest of us to bring something to the table, too.”

After Fisher’s threes, Kareem Rush lined up a 26-footer from the right wing, made that, and three possessions later, as the time ran down in the third, Fisher stepped back and made a 20-footer from the right side. In less than three minutes, the Timberwolves, who had ridden their leaden legs to within a possession or two of the Lakers, were behind, 78-67.

“They played that out pretty much the rest of the way,” Saunders said.

By then leaning almost entirely to Latrell Sprewell, who scored 23 points, or Garnett, the Timberwolves once drew within two points in the fourth quarter, even playing without an ailing Sam Cassell. The Minnesota point guard was unable to play the last 12 minutes because of a sore back, so he watched from the bench when, with 58.1 seconds left, Fisher made one last three-pointer, this from the right corner, to finish the home team.

O’Neal called it “good basketball,” which often means he felt he got the ball enough and the jump shooters made their jump shots.

“Kobe did a great job of driving and kicking and the guys made him look good,” he said. “And I did what I usually do.”

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Road to the Top

How the Lakers have fared when opening a playoff series on the road under Coach Phil Jackson:

*--* Year Round Game 1 Result Finish 2004 Conference finals def. Minnesota, 97-88 -- 2004 Conference lost to San Antonio, won series, 4-2 semifinals 88-78 2003 Conference lost to San Antonio, lost series, 4-2 semifinals 87-82 2003 First round def. Minnesota, 117-98 won series, 4-2 2002 Conference finals def. Sacramento, 106-99 won series, 4-3 2001 Conference finals def. San Antonio, 104-90 won series, 4-0

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