The final horn had barely sounded when head coach Phil Jackson and fourth-quarter matinee idol Kobe Bryant were rushing to a spot in the headlines and trying to establish the Lakers as underdogs in their next playoff series.

Sure, and Cameron Diaz will be the plain girl hoping to get a date for the weekend, while Arnold Schwarzenegger needs help carrying the groceries.

There are reasons the glitterati in the Staples Center did not rise to their feet and take up the chant, "Beat Sacramento!"

First of all, it would be an acknowledgment that the cowtown to the north actually exists.

Second, are you kidding?