PHOENIX — There wasn’t a lot of Pau Gasol or Shaquille O’Neal in the first half, Gasol because of foul trouble and O’Neal because he’s easing his way back from a hip injury. Gasol was called for two light fouls and strongly disputed both; he drew his first foul in the opening minutes when trying to hold O’Neal out of the paint.
But it was evident in the first half how these guys’ mere presences can affect opposing defenses.
Amare Stoudemire got an open jumper in the early going when his man, Lamar Odom, hedged toward the paint, where O’Neal was posting up Gasol. At the other end, Kobe Bryant breezed to the hoop for a layup when Stoudemire wouldn’t leave Gasol to help against Bryant.
Gasol had 10 points (O’Neal had four), but the Lakers had hoped he would have an even bigger impact. Time after time, the Lakers went to Gasol in isolations against Stoudemire after Stoudemire had drawn an early first foul … but Gasol couldn’t get a second one on him.
