Lakers: 'We're underdogs' against Kings

LOS ANGELES - As preposterous as it sounds, the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers consider themselves underdogs to the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference finals. <br> <br> At least that&#39;s what several of them are saying. <br> <br> Don&#39;t believe it, because they don&#39;t. It&#39;s just talk. <br> <br> And considering the Lakers have won a playoff-record 11 straight road games, 23 of their last 25 postseason games and 19 of the last 20 they&#39;ve played at Staples Center over the past three months, they&#39;re probably quietly offended anyone would consider them underdogs. <br> <br> ``I think in some people&#39;s eyes we are,&#39;&#39; Derek Fisher said with a laugh Wednesday at the Lakers&#39; practice facility in El Segundo. ``I&#39;d probably says it&#39;s 50-50 right now. <br> <br> ``As the games go along, people will probably sway and jump on whatever bandwagon looks best.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Following his third straight clutch fourth-quarter performance against San Antonio on Tuesday night that helped eliminate the Spurs from the best-of-seven series in five games, Kobe Bryant placed the Lakers in an underdog role against the Kings. <br> <br> But asked if he really felt that way, Bryant paused and replied: ``I never feel like an underdog. It&#39;s irrelevant. All that matters is how we feel as a unit, how we feel as a team and our togetherness.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Lakers coach Phil Jackson called the Lakers underdogs because the Kings have the homecourt advantage in the series that begins Saturday at Arco Arena in Sacramento. <br> <br> And Robert Horry said much the same thing. <br> <br> Both failed to point out the Lakers are 16-5 against Sacramento since Jackson became their coach; eliminated the Kings from the playoffs in each of the last two years including a four-game sweep last year, and have won five of their last six games at Arco. <br> <br> Rick Fox wouldn&#39;t comment when asked if the Lakers should be underdogs, but pulled no punches when asked his opinion on the series. <br> <br> ``I truly believe we&#39;re the better team,&#39;&#39; he said. ``We&#39;re lacking homecourt advantage, and I think that&#39;s going to be a challenge for us.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> In the aftermath of Tuesday night&#39;s 93-87 victory over San Antonio, Fox forecast a Lakers&#39; victory in the conference finals. <br> <br> ``I have babble of the mouth, I speak what I feel,&#39;&#39; he said Wednesday. ``I&#39;m only one person, it takes 12 of us to do this along with the coaching staff. I believe it. It&#39;s up to the Kings to prove us wrong, to prove me wrong.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Samaki Walker said the Kings deserve the attention they&#39;re receiving because of their NBA-best 61-21 regular-season record, but added: ``They&#39;re cherishing everything, which is good. Saturday they have to play the two-time defending champions.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> After Tuesday night&#39;s game, a sheet of paper was taped to Shaquille O&#39;Neal&#39;s locker with a photograph of Vlade Divac and a midseason quote from the Kings&#39; center: ``If (the Lakers) don&#39;t have homecourt advantage this year, they&#39;re not going to win it.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> O&#39;Neal&#39;s reaction: ``I hear and see everything. I&#39;m the police.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> When asked Wednesday who put the article up, Walker replied: ``I can assure you it didn&#39;t walk up there. That&#39;s the character of the team, one of the coaches put it up there for inspiration - without a doubt it was Phil Jackson. That&#39;s one of his ways of motivating superstars, it seems to work. Shaq doesn&#39;t like that sort of thing. <br> <br> ``There&#39;s got to be doubts in their heads whether they can beat this team. It&#39;s going to be very intense, Shaq&#39;s looking forward to it. Everybody&#39;s getting their flop T-shirts ready because we know Vlade&#39;s going to be doing a lot of that.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> In Sacramento, Divac said watched O&#39;Neal&#39;s live television interview Tuesday night, and had to laugh when O&#39;Neal accused him of excessive flopping. <br> <br> To illustrate his point, Divac shoved a reporter in the chest with one hand, knocking him back one step. <br> <br> ``Why you flopping, man?&#39;&#39; Divac asked, grinning. <br> <br> When asked why O&#39;Neal is so difficult to guard, Divac replied: ``He sets up low, and it&#39;s hard to move him. Hopefully, they&#39;re not going to let him stay more than five seconds. The guy&#39;s just powerful and talented.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> About the picture in O&#39;Neal&#39;s locker, Divac said: ``If he wants to use that for motivation, I can send him another couple of pictures.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> NOTES: The Lakers didn&#39;t practice Wednesday. Fisher, Fox and Walker came in for treatment and spoke with reporters. ... O&#39;Neal was supposed to have the seven stitches in his right index finger removed after Tuesday night&#39;s game, but took them out at home beforehand. Trainer Gary Vitti put a liquid synthetic suture on the finger and bandaged it. ... Fox said he hopes Sacramento&#39;s Peja Stojakovic, who has a sprained ankle, plays in the series. ``Chasing him is no fun, it&#39;s a job,&#39;&#39; Fox said. ``I don&#39;t know how much mobility he has. I know he&#39;s not as mobile as he usually is. I won&#39;t have to chase him as much, I&#39;ll be in his face.&#39;&#39;

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