If it felt like the good old days again in Lakerland -- the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, appearing in the marquee Sunday afternoon broadcast network slot, breezing to a comfy opening victory -- it's because L.A. got back to the foundation that made its franchise great.
The names and giant jerseys high up the southern side of Staples Center bear witness to the Lakers' legacy. Sure, there's Baylor and West and Magic, but the collection of centers is unmatched: Mikan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar. And, of course, Shaquille O'Neal is never too far from people's minds here.
(Lakers coach Phil Jackson couldn't resist taking a shot at his old center when asked if he was worried about the Lakers struggling with an early tip-off time as they have in the past. "No, Shaq's in Phoenix now," Jackson said.)
Shaq's a Sun, Pau Gasol's the new Lakers center and for at least one playoff game, the tradition lived on. The opener of this Western Conference first-round series was Gasol's game. He had 36 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and three blocked shots -- game-high totals in each category -- as the Lakers rolled past the Denver Nuggets 128-114.
One of the things the Lakers have loved about Gasol since he arrived in that near-felonious trade with Memphis in February is his versatility.
"He's long, he can finish and he can run," Lakers forward Luke Walton said. "That type of player on this team, with the guys we have, the playmakers we have, that makes it very dangerous."
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