They Can Curse Day That Kersey Got Away

PORTLAND, Ore. — Jerome Kersey spent a lot of years making a lot of baskets in a lot of Portland basketball games. He played here for 11 seasons. He was a Trail Blazer, and proud to say so, scoring more than 10,000 points.

None were much greater than the two Kersey scored against his old friends Friday night. With 1:17 remaining in Game 4, a missed shot by Shaquille O’Neal was tipped in beautifully by Kersey to give the Lakers the lead, which they kept, winning the game and series, 95-91. So the Trail Blazers stay home, waving farewell to Jerome.

On a night when the Laker bench contributed only three baskets, Kersey got two. It was the starters who came through this time, particularly at the free-throw line, yet the game remained tied, 85-85, until Kersey’s tip sent the Lakers on their way.

Coach Del Harris said of Kersey: “We call him the Wild Thing. He practices all out, as good a pro as there is.”

The 34-year-old Kersey’s energy never ceases to amaze the Lakers.

Nick Van Exel joked after the game: “If kids want to grow up to be like Jerome Kersey, drink a lot of coffee.”

His leaving must have disappointed Portland’s kids, as did his tip-in.

“No, it wasn’t special because it came in Portland,” said Kersey, who played very well up here, as usual, claiming 18 rebounds over the last two games. “It just makes our season move along into another round. The offensive rebound was huge, and I think it took the air out of them.”

He and his new team are bound for Utah for a couple of games as the 25th anniversary of Los Angeles’ first NBA championship approaches. It was on May 7, 1972, that the Lakers defeated the New York Knicks, 114-100, to take that series, four games to one.

We are at the silver anniversary of a golden era.

But the fact remains, the Lakers haven’t worn an NBA crown since 1988. They seldom steamroller teams any more. Only once in their last 12 playoff series have the Lakers prevailed by a sweep. It isn’t that they are bad. But they aren’t baaaddd.

For Game 4 of this series, the Lakers wore the look of a team committed to taking care of business.

At a morning shootaround, Shaquille O’Neal, asked about Chris Dudley’s do-wrong foul in Game 3 that sent Shaq sprawling, muttered something about bringing his “[expletive] fighting skills” next time. After leaving the locker room for Friday night’s opening tip, Laker backup center Sean Rooks spotted a “BEAT LA” sign on a Rose Garden wall. He tore it down.

Portland also was ready for prime time. A radio station passed out thousands of noisemakers, called “Shaq Whackers,” with plastic clapping hands. More than 21,000 fans made a racket for 2 1/2 hours . . . clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. The Lakers didn’t rattle.

Harris even rubbed it in a little, after the game: “I can’t help but say the Blazers made a mistake in wanting to play us in the playoffs. It’s tough to pull on a Superman’s cape.”

This time, his guys played the Trail Blazers tough from the get-go, as opposed to Game 3. It took Portland more than three minutes to score a point. Isaiah Rider tried to get off a shot, then a follow-up, but Eddie Jones blocked both of them. Van Exel’s short shot gave the Lakers a 19-12 lead, while he kept Kenny Anderson quiet in the quarter. Anderson had eaten Van Exel’s lunch in the last game.

Yet as strong as the Laker defense could be, it was often illegal.

For some unknown reason, somebody kept standing in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Five times in the first half, refs whistled a Laker for illegal defense. Everyone seemed confused. Maybe it was the Shaq Whackers.

Campbell got caught before the game was two minutes old. And then O’Neal, early in the next quarter. And then Kersey, three minutes later. And then Robert Horry, 90 seconds later. This was a team effort. The fifth came with 1:11 until halftime, given to Kersey officially, although it appeared on replay that Campbell was the one guarding an area, rather than a man.

Somehow, the Lakers had become unfocused.

It got so bad, Horry committed a lane violation during a free throw . . . with Dudley, one of the NBA’s great bricklayers, at the line. Given a second chance, Dudley heaved one in, off the backboard.

Much of the night, Lakers were in the wrong place at the wrong time. When it counted most, though, Kersey was in the right place, tipping home O’Neal’s miss.

“He did a really good job, for 38 years old,” teased Shaq, aging his teammate a bit.

It was the end of a long, tough series. But now the Lakers can go to Salt Lake City, and start fresh.