Kobe-led Lakers struggle for NBA playoffs as Heat rises with Shaq
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-16 09:50

On the verge of a Thursday showdown with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, things could not look worse for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers suffered a humiliating 95-81 loss to Washington Monday, dropping last year's NBA runner-up to 32-30 and level with Denver for the eighth and final Western Confernece playoff berth.

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on after falling to the floor while trying in vain to keep the basketball from going out of bounds, in the fourth quarter of their NBA game against the Washington Wizards, March 14, 2005 in Washington. The Wizards defeated the Lakers 95-81. [Reuters]

"We were beat in absolutely every category," Lakers coach Frank Hamblen said. "I was disappointed in the way we came out and the way we continued to play. It was awful. They're embarrassed at the way they played."

The Lakers walked off the court before the final seconds ticked away, leaving the startled Wizards standing alone, refusing an uncontested last shot.

"We played horrible. We have to focus, go back to the drawing board," Laker forward Lamar Odom said. "Time to wake up."

An alarm is set for Thursday at Miami, where the Lakers face a rematch against "Shaq" and the Heat, who rose to 49-16 and stretched their win streak to nine games with a season-largest 110-71 victory over Milwaukee on Monday.

Bryant and O'Neal sparked the Lakers to three NBA titles. But the Lakers lost to Detroit in last year's NBA Final and traded "Shaq" to Miami amid reports of a rift between O'Neal and Bryant with coach Phil Jackson departing.

Miami beat the Lakers 104-102 on Christmas in their first meeting since the trade. Bryant has had to deal with a younger team around him and Hamblen replacing Rudy Tomjanovich, who departed over health issues after 43 games.

"Shaq" has the Heat among the NBA elite while the Lakers might miss the playoffs for only the second time in 29 years.

"I believe in us. I believe we will (make the playoffs)," Bryant said. "You have to factor in we're a young team, we had a coaching change and we're putting in a new offense.

"We're not focusing on next season. We're focusing on what we can do now."

One reason for the Lakers' struggles was a 14-game stretch where Bryant was absent after suffering a sprained right ankle in January. The Lakers were 6-8 without him.

"We were in the sixth slot when I got hurt," Bryant said. "If I was healthy who knows what position we would be in. I got hurt. We're jockeying for the eighth spot."

But the Lakers clearly miss O'Neal as well. The Wizards, whose star forward Antawn Jamison left after eight minutes with an injured right knee, outscored the Lakers 44-20 near the basket after a 58-32 such edge in a December triumph.

"They were just more aggressive than we were," Bryant said. "It was one of those games. Not too big a step (back)."

Part of the rift with O'Neal stemmed from criminal charges of rape against Bryant that were dropped last year after his accuser, a Colorado woman, said she did not want to take part in a trial.

Her civil lawsuit against Bryant was settled earlier this month.

Asked about his off-court troubles, Bryant replied, "What off-court troubles? I don't know what you are talking about."

Critics have said Bryant's ego ripped apart a dynasty. Bryant longs to prove them wrong, saying, "I'm going to shut them up in time. You can't do it in a day, a week or a season."

The Wizards, who had not beaten the Lakers in 12 years, had an unprecedented sweep of this year's season series and won the series over the Lakers for the first time since 1976.

Bryant, second in the NBA with 28.6 points a game, managed only 18 against the Wizards, going 6-of-22 from the field and 4-of-12 from 3-point range. The desperate Lakers went 10-of-34 from 3-point range.

"It's kind of disgusting," Bryant said. "When you don't execute, you end up taking threes. It was a scrambling kind of game for us, just rolling the dice."

With 12 of their final 20 games on the road and 17 of them against playoff contenders, things are plenty dicey for the Lakers.

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