Lakers coach Phil Jackson talked to his players at their El Segundo training center, showed them some video from Game 4 and then sent them home, with the aftermath of Thursday night's loss to the Boston Celtics still lingering well into this afternoon.
"You know, just in checking out how the guys were and how they felt, I just felt it was a good idea," Jackson said.
"We have two days to work on things we need to work on. We have guys who are well-conditioned at this time and we need rest and recuperation in this situation, probably more psychologically than we do physically."
The Lakers lost a 24-point lead to Boston in Game 4, allowing the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history since Elias Sport Bureau became the league's official stat keeper in the 1970-71 season.
The Lakers now trail Boston 3-1 in the Finals. Game 5 will be played at Staples Center on Sunday with tip-off at 6:07 p.m.
mike.bresnahan@latimes.com
