Jackson chides three-point shooters

CHICAGO — Coach Phil Jackson had seen enough of the three-point festival, so he scrawled out how many the Lakers had taken Sunday against Washington.

It was only the first quarter. They had already taken eight.

Then a player Jackson didn’t identify -- but, as game records would show, was Maurice Evans -- launched a three-point shot on the Lakers’ first possession of the second quarter in a 147-141 overtime loss to Washington.

Timeout, Lakers.

There was nothing Jackson could do to stop the barrage of three-point shots, 44 in all, that obliterated the team record of 37 set Nov. 28 against Milwaukee. The record before that was 36 against Miami in December 2004, during the free-flinging days of coach Rudy Tomjanovich.

In the Lakers’ defense, they made a team-record 19 of their three-point shots Sunday, a more-than-acceptable 43.2%.

But Jackson shifted uncomfortably when talking about it. Of the Lakers’ 100 field-goal attempts, 44% were from behind the arc.

“There’s too many threes [there] in a sequence of a game,” Jackson said.

Kobe Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic were more or less excused from fault, Bryant making seven of 11 tries and Radmanovic making five of nine.

Smush Parker missed his five three-point attempts and Evans missed his three.

Brian Cook capped a rally from a 21-point deficit by making, no surprise, a three-pointer with 5.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers were one for seven from three-point range in overtime.

*

Almost lost amid the 60-point outburst by Washington’s Gilbert Arenas and the staggering three-point spree was the sobering fact the Lakers hadn’t given up so many points since a 148-146 overtime loss to Denver in March 1981.

“I think collectively we’ve got to concentrate on the defensive end and not letting guards get into the paint as easily as they want to,” Cook said.

The Lakers began Sunday’s game with the league’s 19th-best defense, giving up 98.7 points a game. After the loss, they tumbled to 24th with an average of 100.7.

Only New York, Washington, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Denver and Golden State were below them before Monday’s games.

TONIGHT

at Chicago, 5:30 PST, Channel 9

Site -- United Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 16-8, Bulls 14-10.

Record vs. Bulls -- 1-0.

Update -- The Bulls have won 11 of 12 games and are playing at a much higher level than when they lost to the Lakers, 82-72, Nov. 19 at Staples Center. Center Ben Wallace, the Bulls’ big-name free-agent acquisition, has recovered from a slow start and taken 62 rebounds over the last three games.

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