Test of character - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

It doesn’t look good for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals. Mentally, they’re down. Physically, too, because their key contributors are playing hurt.

In Game 3 last Sunday (Monday morning, Manila), the Sixers lost the homecourt advantage they battled to wrest from the Los Angeles Lakers in the series opener. Now, if the Sixers hope to win the title, they’ve got to do it on the road – at the Staples Center.

The Lakers are up, 2-1, and two more games are scheduled at the $210 million, 21,000-seat First Union Center before the series returns to L.A. for Game 6, if necessary. If the Lakers sweep Games 4 and 5, there won’t be a Game 6. The odds point to at least one more Sixers win so the Lakers can clinch before Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Dyan Cannon, and their loyal fans.

Losing Game 3 had to hurt the Sixers bad. Brown’s boys had a chance to win it down the stretch. Shaquille O’Neal and Derek Fisher fouled out with over two minutes left. The calls went the Sixers’ way in the late going – that’s home cooking for you – but despite the turn of the tide, Philadelphia just couldn’t get the job done. The lead was a solitary point with 2:06 to go and the margin was still a point, time down to 28 seconds. The Lakers, however, wouldn’t be denied.

Losing a close game at home is a confidence killer. In the Finals, it’s like a dagger in the heart. If Brown isn’t careful, the Sixers could be wondering if they’ve got what it takes to bring the series back to Tinseltown. It’s bad enough to lose a heartbreaker at home but to know that your only chance to win the title hinges on another win on the road must be a dampener. Once the Sixers question their ability to win or doubt themselves, that’s when the curtains start to fall.

That’s why Brown is using a new storyline to get his boys jumping again. He’s talking of unleashing George Lynch – a North Carolina product like Michael Jordan – in Game 4. The 6-8 forward hasn’t played since breaking his right foot in Game 4 of the Toronto series last May 13. He’s undergone surgery and he’s been diligent working out to get back into shape. Running on sand dunes in California has been a major part of Lynch’s strengthening program.

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Of course, Lynch can’t be 100 percent. No player can bounce back from major surgery to play in four weeks. But Brown is looking for a Willis Reed to inspire his battered Sixers to get up and fight. If Lynch can even produce a few quality minutes, Brown will be satisfied. The effort will be the inspiration.

Brown, quoted in the Sixers website, said: "Any minutes George can give us is going to be welcome and (will) help. How effective he will be, I don’t have a clue right now. I’m just thrilled he’s going to be able to wear a uniform and participate."

Lynch, 30, said he’s ready to play. He added that if he played in Game 3, Robert Horry wouldn’t have exploded in the fourth period. Horry shot the Lakers’ last seven points and finished with 15. If healthy, Lynch – an eight-year pro – should be able to contribute in defense, rebounding, and scoring. He’s the only Sixer to play in all 82 regular season games although his scoring clip of 8.4 points wasn’t earth-shaking.

Brown’s gamble is with Lynch back in harness, Tyrone Hill and Jumaine Jones might break out of their stupor and play like they’re supposed to. So far, Hill and Jones – both starters – have been high-priced bystanders in the Finals.

In Game 3, the Sixers fell short because the wear and tear of a grueling run to the Finals had finally taken its toll. They lacked intensity. Their energy was at a low level. The aggressiveness wasn’t there. Aaron McKie, the league’s Sixth Man awardee who’s been starting lately because of the Sixers’ decimated lineup, was only a shadow of his old self – scoring five points on 2-of-8 from the floor in 42 minutes. Without McKie backing up Allen Iverson, the Answer is reduced to a Question Mark. McKie could’ve pushed the Sixers to the driver’s seat with a triple in the dying minutes but missed.

Don’t blame McKie – he’s playing with a chip fracture in his right ankle. Eric Snow, incidentally, has two chip fractures in his left ankle and is slated for surgery after the playoffs. Dikembe Mutombo has a broken finger and Iverson, a slew of injuries.