The 1996âÂÂ97 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 49th season for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association, and their 37th season in Los Angeles, California. This season was mostly remembered for the Lakers signing free agent All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal to a seven-year, $120 million deal, and acquiring shooting guard, and high school basketball star Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets, who selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft during the off-season; in the draft, the Lakers selected point guard Derek Fisher from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with the 24th overall pick. The team also signed former Lakers guard Byron Scott from the "Showtime" era, signed free agents Jerome Kersey, and Sean Rooks, and acquired rookie center Travis Knight from the Chicago Bulls. In January, they traded Cedric Ceballos back to his former team, the Phoenix Suns, in exchange for Robert Horry, who won two NBA championships with the Houston Rockets.
With the addition of O'Neal, Bryant and Scott, the Lakers won eight of their first eleven games of the regular season, and posted a six-game winning streak between December and January. The team posted another six-game winning streak between January and February, and held the best record in the Western Conference at the All-Star break with a 35âÂÂ13 record. However, the Lakers soon slipped out of first-place, by finishing in second place in the Pacific Division with a 56âÂÂ26 record, and earning the fourth seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers had the eighth best team defensive rating in the NBA.
O'Neal averaged 26.2 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, but only played 51 games due to a knee injury, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Eddie Jones averaged 17.2 points and 2.4 steals per game, along with 152 three-point field goals, and Nick Van Exel provided the team with 15.3 points and 8.5 assists per game, and led the Lakers with 177 three-point field goals. In addition, Elden Campbell provided with 14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while Horry averaged 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in 22 games after the trade, and Kersey contributed 6.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Off the bench, Bryant averaged 7.6 points per game, while Scott contributed 6.7 points per game, Knight averaged 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, Corie Blount provided with 4.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and Fisher contributed 3.9 points and 1.5 assists per game. Bryant and Knight were both named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, O'Neal and Jones were both selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was Jones's first ever All-Star appearance. However, O'Neal did not participate due to injury. Meanwhile, Bryant won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. In addition, Bryant, Knight and Fisher were all selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as members of the Western Conference Rookie team. Bryant scored 31 points along with 8 rebounds and 2 steals, despite the Western Conference losing to the Eastern Conference, 96âÂÂ91. O'Neal also finished tied in ninth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Jones finished tied in twelfth place in Most Improved Player voting.
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1997 NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the 5thâÂÂseeded Portland Trail Blazers, a team that featured Kenny Anderson, Isaiah Rider and Clifford Robinson. The Lakers won the first two games over the Trail Blazers at home at the Great Western Forum, before losing Game 3 on the road, 98âÂÂ90 at the Rose Garden Arena. The Lakers won Game 4 over the Trail Blazers on the road, 95âÂÂ91 to win the series in four games.
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the topâÂÂseeded, and Midwest Division champion Utah Jazz, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Karl Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Jeff Hornacek. The Lakers lost the first two games to the Jazz on the road at the Delta Center, but managed to win Game 3 at the Great Western Forum, 104âÂÂ84. However, after losing Game 4 at home, 110âÂÂ95, the Lakers lost Game 5 to the Jazz at the Delta Center, 98âÂÂ93, thus losing the series in five games. The Jazz would advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, but would lose to the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls in six games in the 1997 NBA Finals.
The Lakers finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 697,159 at the Great Western Forum during the regular season. Following the season, Scott went overseas and signed with the Greek Basket League giants Panathinaikos for the 1997âÂÂ98 season, while Kersey signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Knight signed with the Boston Celtics.
One notable highlight of the regular season was the Lakers holding the Dallas Mavericks to just two points in the third quarter, in an 87âÂÂ80 home win on April 6, 1997. It was the fewest points scored in a quarter of a game in NBA history.
Before he was chosen as the 13th overall draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw potential in Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts. He went on to state that Bryant's workouts against former Lakers players and then assistant coaches Michael Cooper, and Larry Drew were the best he had ever seen. Immediately after the draft, Bryant expressed that he did not wish to play for the Hornets and wanted to play for the Lakers instead. Fifteen days later, West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the young Kobe Bryant.
During his first season, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Initially, he played limited minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time. He earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan-favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. He averaged 7.6 points and 15.5 minutes per game in 71 games, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | October 10 | Denver | W 111-101 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, HI)<br>10,225 | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | October 12 | Denver | W 105-96 | Shaquille O'Neal (27) | Shaquille O'Neal (15) | Derek Fisher (4) | Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, HI)<br>10,225 | 2âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | October 16 | Dallas | W 90-80 | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Corie Blount (9) | 3 players tied (3) | Selland Arena (Fresno, CA)<br>10,274 | 3âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | October 18 | Philadelphia | W 113-92 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Jones & Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum<br>14,149 | 4âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | October 19 | Phoenix | W 100-87 | Nick Van Exel (19) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (10) | Great Western Forum<br>15,054 | 5âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 | October 22 | Houston | L 114-116 | Cedric Ceballos (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (9) | Nick Van Exel (9) | San Diego Sports Arena (San Diego, CA)<br>13,481 | 5âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 7 | October 23 | Phoenix | L 100-109 | Byron Scott (25) | Cedric Ceballos (9) | Cedric Ceballos (4) | McKale Center (Tucson, AZ)<br>14,162 | 5âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | October 25 | Seattle | L 94âÂÂ99 | Byron Scott (16) | | | BSU Pavilion (Boise, ID) | 5âÂÂ3
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | November 1 | Phoenix | W 96-82 | Shaquille O'Neal (23) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | November 3 | Minnesota | W 91-85 | Shaquille O'Neal (35) | Shaquille O'Neal (19) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Great Western Forum<br>15,407 | 2âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | November 5 | @ New York | W 98-92 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Madison Square Garden<br>19,763 | 3âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | November 6 | @ Charlotte | L 78-88 | Shaquille O'Neal (22) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Charlotte Coliseum<br>24,042 | 3âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | November 8 | @ Toronto | L 92-93 | Jones & O'Neal (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Campbell & Van Exel (4) | SkyDome<br>27,357 | 3âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 6 | November 10 | Atlanta | W 92-85 | Jones & O'Neal (19) | Shaquille O'Neal (18) | Nick Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum<br>16,097 | 4âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 7 | November 12 | @ Houston | W 126-115 (2OT) | Shaquille O'Neal (34) | Shaquille O'Neal (15) | Nick Van Exel (14) | The Summit<br>16,285 | 5âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | November 13 | @ San Antonio | L 83-95 | Shaquille O'Neal (30) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Alamodome<br>26,002 | 5âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 9 | November 15 | L.A. Clippers | W 107-100 | Eddie Jones (32) | Elden Campbell (10) | Nick Van Exel (15) | Great Western Forum<br>16,207 | 6âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 10 | November 17 | @ Phoenix | W 102-88 | Eddie Jones (18) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Nick Van Exel (9) | American West Arena<br>19,023 | 7âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 11 | November 19 | @ Golden State | W 112-109 | Nick Van Exel (27) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Nick Van Exel (12) | San Jose Arena<br>18,742 | 8âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 12 | November 20 | Utah | L 97-113 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (15) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Great Western Forum<br>16,122 | 8âÂÂ4 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 13 | November 22 | San Antonio | W 96-86 | Shaquille O'Neal (29) | Shaquille O'Neal (21) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 9âÂÂ4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 14 | November 24 | Houston | L 85-90 | Shaquille O'Neal (23) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Nick Van Exel (12) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 9âÂÂ5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | November 26 | @ Philadelphia | W 100-88 | Jones & O'Neal (23) | Shaquille O'Neal (20) | Jones & Van Exel (6) | CoreStates Center<br>20,652 | 10âÂÂ5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 16 | November 27 | @ Boston | L 94-110 | Shaquille O'Neal (22) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Shaquille O'Neal (5) | Fleet Center<br>18,624 | 10âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 17 | November 29 | @ Detroit | W 84-76 | Shaquille O'Neal (27) | Elden Campbell (12) | Nick Van Exel (10) | The Palace of Auburn Hills<br>21,454 | 11âÂÂ6
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 18 | December 1 | Denver | W 104-96 | O'Neal & Van Exel (24) | Shaquille O'Neal (16) | Shaquille O'Neal (8) | Great Western Forum<br>15,684 | 12âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 19 | December 3 | Seattle | W 110-106 | Shaquille O'Neal (32) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Eddie Jones (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 13âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 20 | December 4 | @ Utah | L 75-101 | Shaquille O'Neal (21) | Shaquille O'Neal (8) | Derek Fisher (3) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 13âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 21 | December 6 | Orlando | W 92-81 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (18) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 14âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 22 | December 8 | Minnesota | W 110-86 | Nick Van Exel (23) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Great Western Forum<br>15,212 | 15âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 23 | December 10 | @ Sacramento | W 92-90 | Shaquille O'Neal (27) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Derek Fisher (6) | ARCO Arena<br>17,317 | 16âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 24 | December 11 | Indiana | W 79-76 | Shaquille O'Neal (33) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>16,139 | 17âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 25 | December 13 | Portland | W 120-119 (OT) | Shaquille O'Neal (34) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (15) | Great Western Forum<br>16,315 | 18âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 26 | December 17 | @ Chicago | L 123-129 (OT) | Nick Van Exel (36) | Elden Campbell (14) | Nick Van Exel (6) | United Center<br>23,919 | 18âÂÂ8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 27 | December 18 | @ Milwaukee | W 111-105 | Shaquille O'Neal (41) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Bradley Center<br>16,829 | 19âÂÂ8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 28 | December 21 | @ Minnesota | L 88-103 | Nick Van Exel (22) | Shaquille O'Neal (17) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Target Center<br>18,127 | 19âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 29 | December 25 | @ Phoenix | W 108-87 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (16) | Nick Van Exel (12) | American West Arena<br>19,023 | 20âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 30 | December 27 | Boston | W 109-102 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Campbell & O'Neal (11) | Jones & Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 21âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 31 | December 29 | Philadelphia | W 115-102 | Shaquille O'Neal (28) | Travis Knight (10) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 22âÂÂ9
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 32 | January 2 | @ Sacramento | W 90-83 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (16) | Nick Van Exel (6) | ARCO Arena<br>17,317 | 23âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 33 | January 3 | Sacramento | W 100-93 | Elden Campbell (22) | Elden Campbell (15) | Derek Fisher (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 24âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 34 | January 5 | @ Vancouver | W 95-82 | Shaquille O'Neal (31) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Nick Van Exel (23) | General Motors Place<br>19,193 | 25âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 35 | January 6 | @ Portland | L 84-88 | Shaquille O'Neal (34) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Rose Garden<br>21,538 | 25âÂÂ10 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 36 | January 8 | Charlotte | W 101-97 | Shaquille O'Neal (23) | Shaquille O'Neal (16) | Nick Van Exel (10) | Great Western Forum<br>16,980 | 26âÂÂ10 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | January 10 | Miami | W 94-85 | Shaquille O'Neal (34) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 27âÂÂ10 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 38 | January 14 | Vancouver | W 91-81 | Shaquille O'Neal (24) | Knight & O'Neal (12) | Nick Van Exel (6) | Great Western Forum<br>15,606 | 28âÂÂ10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 39 | January 16 | Portland | L 98-102 | Shaquille O'Neal (33) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>16,432 | 28âÂÂ11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 40 | January 18 | Detroit | L 97-100 (2OT) | Kobe Bryant (21) | Shaquille O'Neal (19) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 28âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 41 | January 20 | Dallas | W 109-99 | Nick Van Exel (24) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>16,959 | 29âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 42 | January 24 | Golden State | W 114-97 | Shaquille O'Neal (33) | Travis Knight (15) | Nick Van Exel (12) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 30âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 43 | January 26 | @ Seattle | W 104-103 | Nick Van Exel (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Nick Van Exel (6) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 31âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 44 | January 28 | @ Dallas | W 102-83 | Shaquille O'Neal (31) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (6) | Reunion Arena<br>18,042 | 32âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 45 | January 29 | @ San Antonio | W 99-92 | Eddie Jones (23) | Shaquille O'Neal (19) | Nick Van Exel (12) | Alamodome<br>25,570 | 33âÂÂ12
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 46 | February 2 | Washington | W 129-99 | Shaquille O'Neal (24) | Elden Campbell (10) | Nick Van Exel (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 34âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 47 | February 4 | @ L.A. Clippers | L 86-108 | Campbell & Van Exel (20) | Travis Knight (7) | Campbell & Van Exel (4) | Arrowhead Pond<br>18,462 | 34âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 48 | February 5 | Chicago | W 106-90 | Elden Campbell (34) | Elden Campbell (14) | Nick Van Exel (13) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 35âÂÂ13 |- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- style="background:#cfc;" | 49 | February 12 | @ Minnesota | W 100-84 | Elden Campbell (21) | Robert Horry (10) | Robert Horry (8) | Target Center<br>18,243 | 36âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 50 | February 13 | @ Denver | W 132-117 | Nick Van Exel (30) | Kersey & Rooks (6) | Nick Van Exel (9) | McNichols Sports Arena<br>16,713 | 37âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 51 | February 16 | Seattle | L 91-102 | Eddie Jones (26) | Elden Campbell (17) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 37âÂÂ14 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 52 | February 19 | Cleveland | L 84-103 | Elden Campbell (23) | Travis Knight (9) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Great Western Forum<br>16,402 | 37âÂÂ15 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 53 | February 21 | Vancouver | W 99-91 | Campbell & Jones (23) | Elden Campbell (12) | Jones & Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,031 | 38âÂÂ15 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 54 | February 23 | New York | L 121-127 (2OT) | Elden Campbell (40) | Travis Knight (13) | Nick Van Exel (16) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 38âÂÂ16 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 55 | February 25 | @ Houston | L 96-100 | Elden Campbell (19) | Elden Campbell (9) | Nick Van Exel (11) | The Summit<br>16,285 | 38âÂÂ17 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 56 | February 27 | @ Washington | W 122-107 | Elden Campbell (38) | Eddie Jones (8) | Nick Van Exel (12) | US Airways Arena<br>18,756 | 39âÂÂ17 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 57 | February 28 | @ Atlanta | L 75-86 | Eddie Jones (17) | Elden Campbell (7) | Eddie Jones (5) | Omni Coliseum<br>16,378 | 39âÂÂ18
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 58 | March 2 | @ Indiana | L 85-101 | Eddie Jones (28) | Corie Blount (10) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Market Square Arena<br>16,711 | 39âÂÂ19 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 59 | March 4 | @ Dallas | W 102-92 | Nick Van Exel (37) | Elden Campbell (10) | 4 players tied (2) | Reunion Arena<br>15,809 | 40âÂÂ19 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 60 | March 7 | Houston | L 90-111 | Campbell & Jones (17) | Elden Campbell (7) | Nick Van Exel (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 40âÂÂ20 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 61 | March 9 | New Jersey | W 115-105 | Eddie Jones (34) | Eddie Jones (13) | Fisher & Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,103 | 41âÂÂ20 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 62 | March 12 | Golden State | W 109-101 | Elden Campbell (26) | Corie Blount (15) | Nick Van Exel (14) | Great Western Forum<br>17,009 | 42âÂÂ20 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 63 | March 14 | L.A. Clippers | L 95-97 | Eddie Jones (22) | Corie Blount (15) | Nick Van Exel (13) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 42âÂÂ21 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 64 | March 16 | Toronto | W 98-90 (OT) | Eddie Jones (27) | Jerome Kersey (11) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>16,839 | 43âÂÂ21 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 65 | March 17 | @ Denver | W 113-94 | Nick Van Exel (30) | Blount & Campbell (10) | Nick Van Exel (9) | McNichols Sports Arena<br>13,817 | 44âÂÂ21 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 66 | March 20 | @ Cleveland | W 89-76 | Eddie Jones (25) | Corie Blount (12) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Gund Arena<br>18,818 | 45âÂÂ21 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 67 | March 21 | @ Miami | L 97-98 | Elden Campbell (24) | Elden Campbell (12) | Nick Van Exel (11) | Miami Arena<br>15,200 | 45âÂÂ22 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 68 | March 23 | @ Orlando | L 84-110 | Elden Campbell (16) | Blount & Kersey (8) | Nick Van Exel (6) | Orlando Arena<br>17,248 | 45âÂÂ23 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 69 | March 24 | @ New Jersey | W 109-84 | Nick Van Exel (23) | Travis Knight (14) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Continental Airlines Arena<br>20,049 | 46âÂÂ23 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 70 | March 26 | Milwaukee | W 106-84 | Elden Campbell (31) | Corie Blount (14) | 3 players tied (4) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 47âÂÂ23 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 71 | March 27 | @ Vancouver | W 102-98 (OT) | Elden Campbell (25) | Elden Campbell (9) | Nick Van Exel (8) | General Motors Place<br>18,722 | 48âÂÂ23
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 72 | April 1 | @ Seattle | W 99-97 | Nick Van Exel (30) | Blount & Kersey (11) | Nick Van Exel (6) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 49âÂÂ23 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 73 | April 2 | Denver | W 110-85 | Eddie Jones (27) | Corie Blount (13) | Nick Van Exel (12) | Great Western Forum<br>17,141 | 50âÂÂ23 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 74 | April 4 | San Antonio | L 83-94 | Sean Rooks (20) | Corie Blount (13) | Nick Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 50âÂÂ24 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 75 | April 6 | Dallas | W 87-80 | Derek Fisher (21) | Sean Rooks (11) | 3 players tied (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,364 | 51âÂÂ24 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 76 | April 8 | @ Golden State | W 109-85 | Kobe Bryant (24) | Knight & Rooks (7) | Derek Fisher (6) | San Jose Arena<br>17,973 | 52âÂÂ24 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 77 | April 9 | @ Utah | L 89-101 | Eddie Jones (16) | Elden Campbell (11) | Derek Fisher (4) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 52âÂÂ25 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 78 | April 11 | Phoenix | W 114-98 | O'Neal & Van Exel (24) | Horry & O'Neal (11) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 53âÂÂ25 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 79 | April 13 | Utah | W 100-98 | Shaquille O'Neal (39) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 54âÂÂ25 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 80 | April 17 | Sacramento | W 108-99 | Shaquille O'Neal (42) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 55âÂÂ25 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 81 | April 18 | @ L.A. Clippers | W 123-95 | Elden Campbell (21) | Travis Knight (9) | Nick Van Exel (10) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena<br>16,094 | 56âÂÂ25 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 82 | April 20 | @ Portland | L 96-100 | Elden Campbell (29) | Elden Campbell (11) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Rose Garden<br>21,538 | 56âÂÂ26
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | April 25 | Portland | W 95âÂÂ77 | Shaquille O'Neal (46) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Nick Van Exel (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | April 27 | Portland | W 107âÂÂ93 | Shaquille O'Neal (30) | Eddie Jones (7) | Nick Van Exel (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 2âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | April 30 | @ Portland | L 90âÂÂ98 | Shaquille O'Neal (29) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | O'Neal & Van Exel (4) | Rose Garden<br>21,538 | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | May 2 | @ Portland | W 95âÂÂ91 | Campbell & O'Neal (27) | 4 players tied (8) | Jones & Van Exel (5) | Rose Garden<br>21,538 | 3âÂÂ1 |-
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | May 4 | @ Utah | L 77âÂÂ93 | Nick Van Exel (23) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Nick Van Exel (4) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 0âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | May 6 | @ Utah | L 101âÂÂ103 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Nick Van Exel (12) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 0âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | May 8 | Utah | W 104âÂÂ84 | Kobe Bryant (19) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Nick Van Exel (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | May 10 | Utah | L 95âÂÂ110 | Shaquille O'Neal (34) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Nick Van Exel (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | May 12 | @ Utah | L 93âÂÂ98 (OT) | Nick Van Exel (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Shaquille O'Neal (5) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 1âÂÂ4 |-
Player statistics citation: