Posted on Thu, May. 27, 2004
WOLVES REPORT: Saunders reneges on 'Hack-a-Shaq' strategy
BY MIKE WELLS and BRIAN HAMILTON
Pioneer Press
LOS ANGELES ? A week ago Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said he wasn't going to just foul a player for no reason, unless it was to stop an easy layup when asked about possibly using the "Hack-a-Shaq" method against Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal.
"We're never in situation of just going to foul somebody," Saunders said at the time. "We don't want to give anybody layups. I don't care if it's Shaq, whether it's Kobe (Bryant). Nobody."
Saunders went against his plan in Game 3 when the Wolves fouled O'Neal intentionally on two consecutive possessions.
Saunders' decision to foul was relatively easy to decide because O'Neal was struggling from the line and the Wolves were trying to stop the clock to help get back into the game. O'Neal went 8 for 22 from the free throw line.
"Shaq walked off and said, 'It ain't going to work,' " Saunders said Wednesday. "He was 8 for 22. That's pretty good if you're a baseball player. But as a free throw shooter, that's not good. I got Jack Nicholson on the side and he's begging that he make 1 out of 2 every time.
"Jack has seen him play a lot more than I have. If he's saying he would foul him, that's something that might be pretty good. If we have to put him on the line 50 times to win, we'll do whatever we have to do. I don't care."
The Lakers scoffed at the Wolves' notion of using the "Hack-a-Shaq."
"It's happened time and time again for us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I'm sure there are games that we've lost where Shaq has been fouled and hasn't been able to complete. I know that is a fact. But in big games, I've only seen fouling work one time, and that was an NCAA championship game with Houston and North Carolina State. But Naismith had it right ? a team should not be able to profit by fouling. That's been a concept in basketball forever."
Bargain hunting: Some Lakers fans are so put off by the prices of tickets to the games at the Staples Center that they're flying to Minnesota to watch Saturday's game at the Target Center, where seats go for significantly less.
About 100 mostly high-end tickets went to L.A. fans, but still for a pretty penny, said Mike Nowakowski, a partner at Ticket King, a Twin Cities ticket broker. The seats he's selling for $700 would go for $2,000 in a comparable location at the Staples Center, he said.
"I was told by someone, 'It's cheaper for a family of four to fly to Minnesota, stay in a fancy hotel, eat at a fancy restaurant, go to the game and then fly home the next day, than it would be to go to the game in Los Angeles," he said.
In a Rush: Though Bryant's return time from his court hearing today is ambiguous, the Lakers' plan of action in case of tardiness isn't. If Bryant isn't back for the tipoff, third-year guard Kareem Rush will take his spot in the starting lineup.
As far as dropoffs, it's like diving off a cliff. Rush has played in all 14 postseason games, but has averaged just 3.1 points and played just eight minutes in Game 3.
"It changes things, because you know Minnesota will come out and play a little different game if Bryant is not on the floor," Jackson said. "But we have confidence in Kareem that he can play basketball and he can fill a gap as best as possible."
Wally stopper: Hindered by his recovery from a dislocated thumb, veteran forward Rick Fox hasn't had much of an impact in the Lakers' postseason.
He played only six minutes in Game 3, but Jackson indicated that might jump if Wolves sharpshooter Wally Szczerbiak gets on a roll again. Fox got into Szczerbiak as well as anyone, even if it was to no avail in a 14-point quarter for the Wolves guard.
"I wanted to play Rick a little bit on Wally, if Wally started to play as well as he was capable of," Jackson said. "He did get going in that third quarter, and Rick is someone we'll certainly reach for if that happens again."
Briefly: Saunders and point guard Sam Cassell were named to the NBA All-Interview second team for the first time.
The Lakers-Wolves' Game 3 victory was the highest-rated NBA playoff game ever on cable.
The game was seen in 6 million households, second only to the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. The All-Star Game was watched in 7.1 million households.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy Mayron contributed to this report. Mike Wells can be reached at mwells@pioneerpress.com. Brian Hamilton can be reached bchamilton@pioneerpress.com.
WOLVES REPORT: Saunders reneges on 'Hack-a-Shaq' strategy
BY MIKE WELLS and BRIAN HAMILTON
Pioneer Press
LOS ANGELES ? A week ago Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said he wasn't going to just foul a player for no reason, unless it was to stop an easy layup when asked about possibly using the "Hack-a-Shaq" method against Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal.
"We're never in situation of just going to foul somebody," Saunders said at the time. "We don't want to give anybody layups. I don't care if it's Shaq, whether it's Kobe (Bryant). Nobody."
Saunders went against his plan in Game 3 when the Wolves fouled O'Neal intentionally on two consecutive possessions.
Saunders' decision to foul was relatively easy to decide because O'Neal was struggling from the line and the Wolves were trying to stop the clock to help get back into the game. O'Neal went 8 for 22 from the free throw line.
"Shaq walked off and said, 'It ain't going to work,' " Saunders said Wednesday. "He was 8 for 22. That's pretty good if you're a baseball player. But as a free throw shooter, that's not good. I got Jack Nicholson on the side and he's begging that he make 1 out of 2 every time.
"Jack has seen him play a lot more than I have. If he's saying he would foul him, that's something that might be pretty good. If we have to put him on the line 50 times to win, we'll do whatever we have to do. I don't care."
The Lakers scoffed at the Wolves' notion of using the "Hack-a-Shaq."
"It's happened time and time again for us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I'm sure there are games that we've lost where Shaq has been fouled and hasn't been able to complete. I know that is a fact. But in big games, I've only seen fouling work one time, and that was an NCAA championship game with Houston and North Carolina State. But Naismith had it right ? a team should not be able to profit by fouling. That's been a concept in basketball forever."
Bargain hunting: Some Lakers fans are so put off by the prices of tickets to the games at the Staples Center that they're flying to Minnesota to watch Saturday's game at the Target Center, where seats go for significantly less.
About 100 mostly high-end tickets went to L.A. fans, but still for a pretty penny, said Mike Nowakowski, a partner at Ticket King, a Twin Cities ticket broker. The seats he's selling for $700 would go for $2,000 in a comparable location at the Staples Center, he said.
"I was told by someone, 'It's cheaper for a family of four to fly to Minnesota, stay in a fancy hotel, eat at a fancy restaurant, go to the game and then fly home the next day, than it would be to go to the game in Los Angeles," he said.
In a Rush: Though Bryant's return time from his court hearing today is ambiguous, the Lakers' plan of action in case of tardiness isn't. If Bryant isn't back for the tipoff, third-year guard Kareem Rush will take his spot in the starting lineup.
As far as dropoffs, it's like diving off a cliff. Rush has played in all 14 postseason games, but has averaged just 3.1 points and played just eight minutes in Game 3.
"It changes things, because you know Minnesota will come out and play a little different game if Bryant is not on the floor," Jackson said. "But we have confidence in Kareem that he can play basketball and he can fill a gap as best as possible."
Wally stopper: Hindered by his recovery from a dislocated thumb, veteran forward Rick Fox hasn't had much of an impact in the Lakers' postseason.
He played only six minutes in Game 3, but Jackson indicated that might jump if Wolves sharpshooter Wally Szczerbiak gets on a roll again. Fox got into Szczerbiak as well as anyone, even if it was to no avail in a 14-point quarter for the Wolves guard.
"I wanted to play Rick a little bit on Wally, if Wally started to play as well as he was capable of," Jackson said. "He did get going in that third quarter, and Rick is someone we'll certainly reach for if that happens again."
Briefly: Saunders and point guard Sam Cassell were named to the NBA All-Interview second team for the first time.
The Lakers-Wolves' Game 3 victory was the highest-rated NBA playoff game ever on cable.
The game was seen in 6 million households, second only to the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. The All-Star Game was watched in 7.1 million households.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy Mayron contributed to this report. Mike Wells can be reached at mwells@pioneerpress.com. Brian Hamilton can be reached bchamilton@pioneerpress.com.
