LAL @ POR - 2000 WCF - Gm 4

5-28-2000. So many coaches have tried to make Shaquille O'Neal a better free throw shooter. After his 3-year-old daughter Taahira's advice, he was perfect.

"Of course she really doesn't know the game, but today I called her and said `Daddy loves you,'" O'Neal said, "and she said `Good luck Daddy, and bend your knees,' so that game is for her."

O'Neal, who usually shoots about 50 percent from the line, was 9-for-9 from there Sunday, including 6-for-6 in the fourth quarter, as the Los Angeles Lakers used a dominant second half to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-91 and take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

"I felt like Pete Maravich - that guy from LSU," O'Neal said, grinning at the reference to his old school.

Glen Rice celebrated his 33rd birthday with his biggest game of the playoffs for the Lakers, who can advance to the finals for the first time since 1991 with a homecourt victory on Tuesday.

"We always knew if we play the type of game that we're capable of playing, we can win anywhere," O'Neal said. "I think certain people forgot that we were a pretty good road team."

"I told Glen to do the same thing I did on my birthday," O'Neal said. "On my birthday, I shot it every time. I told him `When you get it, shoot it.'"

"The third quarter was definitely the most I've felt being in the flow," Rice said. "They were loking for me and setting screens. It was a lot of fun. ... If I can get people to set screens like that for me, I can have a field day."

O'Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds, but his most remarkable statistic came from the foul line.

"I told him he needs to frame that little stat sheet," teammate Kobe Bryant said. "He told me he was hot. He said, `Bring it to me. I feel good. I'm feeling it."'

"They made a lot of shots," Dunleavy said. "They made all their free throws. We played an excellent first half but shot ourselves in the foot. We missed five or six open layups."

Only six teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series.

"I know in my heart we can still win this series," Wallace said. "We just have to stay alive. We've got to win Tuesday or we'll start working on next season."

The Lakers shot 70 percent (14-for-20) in the third quarter, outscoring Portland 34-19 to take a 76-66 lead entering the fourth. The Blazers shot 29 percent (5-for-17) in the third.

"They played a great game today," Pippen said. "I don't know that if we played well, it could have helped us, as well as they played."

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• lakers
• 2000 western conference finals
• jordan
• trail blazers
• chick hearn
• kobe
• shaq
• lebron
• d wade

[TheWheels777]

sheed was a monster that day. big respect from this laker fan

[cbaldwinjr]

Shaq's finest hour...the power cant be accounted for...but knocking down all of his FT's...awesome

[oneman91]

NBA ON NBC! =D

[victorjulio15]

i know sabonis was bad ass when he was younger, but damn he plays so weak on d. portland already had enough scoring threats- should've picked up a hard nose defender, a theo ratliff type.

[bxrfan]

Damn, Rasheed went off in this game!!

Playoff career high 34 points!

[Janggoon1]

TWO Deep vs. TOO Deep...man it seemed like their starters were all-star caliber...scratch that, they were....rasheed was a beast...and so were his hops...

[yungmerc008]

i was at game 7 of this series, the beginning of a dynasty, Good Shit Non-P you da Man my brotha!!!!!!