Victory Gives L.A. Sweeping Feeling

By a whisper, by a flinch, by a fingertip, the Lakers took command of this series in a game that was defined and controlled by the thinnest of margins.

By making enough free throws and by seizing every tiny opportunity, by slamming shut the path to the basket and by willing themselves to stay disciplined, the Lakers delivered a victory.

Bye-bye, Phoenix Suns.

Shaquille O’Neal scored 37 points and grabbed 17 rebounds and the Laker defense cut up the Suns in the final minutes to produce a 105-99 Laker victory at America West Arena and a 3-0 advantage in this best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.

Reserve Robert Horry scored 15 points, Kobe Bryant stepped in front of Penny Hardaway’s most frantic drives in the late going, and the Lakers all but put the Suns away.

Bryant scored 25 points, and Hardaway led Phoenix with 31 in a great battle.

Bryant, Glen Rice and Brian Shaw combined to make six of six free throws in the final two minutes and the Laker defense repelled the Suns’ slashes and crashes to preserve the victory.

Meanwhile, the Suns, who at times had scored almost at will, suddenly hit a wall, failing to make a shot in a pivotal two-minute span near the end of the game.

In 12 consecutive trips down the floor in the combustible fourth quarter, the teams scored against each other--racing layups, jump hooks, and spinning drives.

Then it broke open. The Suns missed three consecutive shots, O’Neal reached over Luc Longley to tip in a missed free throw and then found Bryant open underneath to give the Lakers a 94-91 lead with 3:45 to play.

IN QUOTES

“Nothing is over until it’s over. This was really not a game we expected to take. We came into this thinking we wanted to win one game--that was obviously the goal.”

PHIL JACKSON,

Laker coach

THE SERIES

Lakers lead, 3-0