Hochman: Even Zen might not help L.A. Lakers

How crazy is it that Marc Gasol might be in the Western Conference finals but Pau Gasol probably won't be?

Such is the reality in this madcap and maddening NBA postseason. With the Lakers down 3-0 to Dallas, the dynasty is on life support.

Now, the Lakers struggled down the stretch in the regular season, but we dismissed it: "Surely they'll toughen up come the playoffs (. . . it's the Lakers!)" Then L.A. got smacked around a little by the New Orleans Hornets, whose post players included Aaron Gray and a guy from a Tulane intramural team. But we dismissed that too: "Surely they'll toughen up come the next round (. . . it's the Lakers!)"

But here we are. No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. Give the Mavericks credit. Dirk Nowitzki is playing with, well, a Kobe Bryant-like hunger. The Mavericks, yes, were wimpy down the stretch — before beating the Hornets in the final game of the season, they had lost their previous nine games against Western Conference playoff teams. But now the Mavericks might be the best Western Conference playoff team.

I will say this: You'd have to think if there was ever an NBA team to blow a 3-0 lead, it would be a Dirk-led team (with memories, of course, of the 2006 NBA Finals, in which Dallas lost after leading 2-0). And you'd have to think if there was ever an NBA team to overcome a 3-0 deficit, it would be a Kobe-led team.

"You don't ever want to give a champion life," Nowitzki told reporters after Game 3.

The Lakers do have some confidence. They didn't play that bad in Game 3 at Dallas and would host Games 5 and 7. Andrew Bynum is playing at a frighteningly high level. And Ron Artest, suspended for Game 3, will be back today.

And then there's Phil Jackson, the Zen master who went from namaste to nasty in Game 3, screaming at Pau Gasol like Bobby Knight would at some turnover-prone sixth man. Everything seemed so fitting this season — Jackson would win his third consecutive title (his fourth three-peat) and ride off into the sunset on Sunset with L.A. girlfriend Jeanie Buss. We know Jackson is a brilliant coach. Or is it now past tense? We'll see if he can stir up some old magic today and revitalize his troops.

Pau has been a problem. He worked so hard the past couple years to swat away the "soft-Euro" label, which has been reapplied this month. Meanwhile, little brother Marc has been a menace for Memphis, which took a 2-1 series lead Saturday against Oklahoma City.

After Game 2, Bynum said the Lakers were having "trust issues." There was a moment in the fourth quarter that was indicative of Bynum's revelation. The shot clock was about to expire and the ball-handler, Bryant, was smothered on the perimeter. To his right, Lamar Odom was wide open, but Bryant instead launched some off-balanced fadeaway thing that put the ill in ill-advised.

Even now, it's hard to fully believe that this Lakers team — Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Lamar, Artest, Phil — might not even crack the conference finals. But just because it's the same guys from the 2010 Lakers team doesn't mean they are the 2010 Lakers. And right now, they're looking like the 2010 Nuggets.