They didn?t look like last season?s 15-1 Lakers, but Los Angeles will certainly take the win.  It is the deadly duo who struck again to conquer the inconsistent Portland Trailblazers, with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O?Neal leading the way with 34 and 25  points respectively.

"I think it just took a while for us to get adjusted," said Bryant. "It was a grind. We tried to get a 15-point lead but could never really do it."
"Everything about their game stepped up in the second half," said Blazers Coach Maurice Cheeks. "They are a seasoned team. The second half is indicative of the way this team wins championships."

The Lakers have eliminated the Blazers the past two seasons, including the now infamous choking in the fourth quarter of Game 7 in 2000.  Last season the Blazers were routed in the opening round, going down in straight sets.
"It was a fine game," Jackson insisted, writing the number 14 on the whiteboard with a black marker indicating the number of wins the team still needs, just as he did last year.

Los Angeles won the game 95-87, with game 2 scheduled in L.A. Thursday.