Chapter 87: It's Taking Off!
The Trail Blazers are on the move, running a pick-and-roll in the middle. Damon zips past his defender and dishes it to the center. There's a mismatch, and Rasheed squares up against Alaric, pulling off a straight-arm jumper. Score's now 22-17.
Rasheed's a beast at 6'11" with a 7'5" wingspan. Just holding the ball up high without even jumping makes it tough for Alaric to contest. Rasheed's jumpers are a nightmare for guards, so Alaric just tries to mess with him a bit.
Now it's the Lakers' turn. Alaric brings the ball up, no screens, and with Damon all over him, he passes to Rick on the right. Rick lobs it to Shaq, who tries to muscle through but misses a turnaround hook under double coverage.
Blazers are back at it with their usual play. Rasheed gets the ball, Shaq steps out to guard him, and Alaric chases the guard. Rasheed passes, and Damon's got Alaric all over him.
Alaric might not be the star on offense, but on D, he’s a beast, doing whatever Phil asks and making sure Damon doesn’t get an easy shot. Damon doesn’t push it and passes to Bonzi Wells cutting in.
Bonzi, Scottie's backup, is 6'5" and 209 pounds of pure power. Once he gets going, he's a freight train. Ron fouls him, sending Bonzi to the line.
Bonzi sinks one of two free throws, making it 22-18.
With two minutes left, both teams start subbing during a dead ball. Mark and Devean come in for Ron and Horace.
Alaric doesn’t get any good looks next. The team sticks to Phil’s plan, with Shaq scoring on a turnaround hook against Dale. Next possession, Blazers foul, and Shaq makes one free throw. Just before the buzzer, Rick cuts baseline, gets a pass from Shaq, and draws a foul, hitting one of two free throws.
For the Blazers, Bonzi nails a layup, and Steve draws a foul, hitting both free throws.
End of the first quarter, Lakers up 26-22.
In the NBA, the break between quarters is 130 seconds, except halftime, which is 15 minutes. Short timeouts are 20 seconds, and long ones are either 100 or 60 seconds.
Phil’s not big on calling timeouts, partly because of the rules. He uses the time to sub and tweak tactics. Second quarter lineup: Alaric, Isaiah, Devean, Horace, and Greg.
"In a set play, Alaric's the main ball handler, Greg sets a pick in the middle, and Horace sets off-ball screens to get Isaiah open. If we grab the rebound, Alaric pushes for a fast break."
Everyone knows Alaric's about to step up. He played four minutes in the first, and Phil’s not putting Brian in yet.
Phil needs someone to lead the bench offense. Brian’s struggling, barely averaging five points a game. He’s too slow and doesn’t mesh with Isaiah and Devean.
If Isaiah goes rogue like in preseason, it’s a mess. Phil wants Alaric to set the pace and give the OK duo a breather.
Phil’s giving Alaric three minutes to show up. If the Blazers take the lead, Shaq and Kobe are back in to dominate.
Horace is in to counter the Blazers' backup center, Shawn Kemp. Kemp’s not what he used to be, but he’s still got a rep. Phil trusts the vet to handle him, not Mark.
Blazers' lineup: Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, and Shawn Kemp.
The lineup changes show just how bad the Trail Blazers want this win. Rasheed, their star, played the whole first quarter and is back to lead the bench. Mike's got him playing the whole game.
Their rookie point guard, Erick Barkley, is chilling by the water cooler. Unless it's garbage time, Mike's not even thinking about putting him in.
Game's back on, and the Lakers have the ball. Alaric spots Shawn at center and signals Greg for a screen outside the three-point line. Greg hesitates but sets the screen, blocking Greg Anthony.
Greg Anthony, born in '67, is a league vet, a first-round 12th pick in '91, standing 6 feet tall and weighing 176 pounds. His peak was '95-'96 with the Vancouver Grizzlies, averaging 14 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He used to be a speed demon.
But after two major injuries, his game took a hit. Last season, he averaged just 6.3 points and 2.5 assists. Now, he avoids physical play, and his speed is just average.
Using the screen, Alaric easily shakes off Greg Anthony and moves to the right. With no defensive switch in the paint, Alaric steps to the side and nails a quick stop-and-pop jumper from the right 70-degree angle. Shawn, standing at the elbow, doesn't even bother to contest.
Alaric's been working on his shot for two years. His rhythm is perfect, and he drains another three-pointer.
Score's 29-22. Alaric's got 8 points.
Mark Woodson chimes in, "Alaric's killing it on offense. He's 3-for-3 since he came on. He didn't even try out for other teams, and now they're probably kicking themselves."
Tom laughs, "He's been lucky too. Derek's injury gave him a shot. Now it's up to him to make the most of it. Shawn's to blame for that play. He didn't step out to defend. Who knows what he did this summer; he's totally out of shape."
The Blazers pass the ball around, and Bonzi misses a mid-range shot against Isaiah.
They're built similarly, both a bit round but not slow, fitting a certain style. The Blazers drafted Bonzi as a template for Isaiah.
Unfortunately, Bonzi's playing style is also like Isaiah's, with bad shot selection. Horace grabs the defensive rebound and dishes it to Alaric.
Alaric doesn't push for a fast break but brings the ball up slowly.
Except for Shawn, the Blazers' players hustle back on defense, making it tough to get a fast break advantage. Isaiah signals and sprints to the frontcourt, but Alaric ignores him. Phil, watching, stays expressionless but silently approves.
If Alaric passed every time a teammate signaled without thinking, his potential would be limited. Players like Isaiah, who don't think strategically, should be ignored unless it's a good opportunity.
Alaric signals for another screen. Greg steps out and blocks Greg Anthony, and Alaric moves to his favorite right side. Rasheed is near the baseline, guarding Horace, unable to help. Shawn is near the free-throw line, daydreaming.
Shawn joined the Blazers this season with a big rep. During preseason, players were hesitant to call him out. But his lazy defense is hurting the team. He's just watching Greg, treating Alaric like he's invisible. Mike stands up on the sideline and yells, "Shawn, switch out!"
Hearing Mike, Shawn finally reacts, but it's too late. Alaric makes another easy stop-and-pop jumper from the same spot, with a quick release and perfect arc, swishing it through the net.
Score's 32-22. Alaric's got 11 points, hitting his third three-pointer.
Shaq stands up on the sideline, leading the applause for Alaric. The Blazers' fans are puzzled, and the boos stop.
No one expected the Lakers' last pick, Alaric, to be this good. He's on fire!