Game Time Becoming Sasha Time?

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MEMPHIS, Tenn. - If he can build off Sunday's performance, Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic won't have to hear about being an "11 o'clock shooter," or a "7:30 shooter" ever again.

It was coach Phil Jackson who described Vujacic with those two terms last season, a player whose shot could be night-and-day different. He couldn't miss in practice and couldn't do anything but miss in games.

That was before Vujacic hit three fourth-quarter 3-pointers and scored a career-high 16points in the Lakers' victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He played all 12 minutes of the final quarter.

"Sasha's starting to settle in," Jackson said. "I think he was anxious. He started the first game obviously of the year with Kobe on the bench and got off to a tough start. But he's been playing much better as of late.

"I know he had some open shots the other night (against Denver) that didn't go down for him. But we expect them to go in, because he's really a good shooter and works hard at it."

Not only did he connect on the go-ahead 3-pointer Sunday with 28.5 seconds left, Vujacic raised his season shooting percentage from 37.4 to 40.6 percent in one game.

It was reminiscent of the 2006 playoffs for Vujacic, who knocked down 9 of 15 3-pointers against Phoenix. He shot with confidence in the preseason and was rewarded when the Lakers exercised the fourth- year option in his contract for 2007-08.

But Vujacic missed his first seven shots of the season and lost his spot as the first guard off the bench to Jordan Farmar. Vujacic has been here before, hoping one big game will mark the end of his shooting woes.

"The beginning of the season, I didn't start well, and this is my third season and I just want to step up," Vujacic said. "This is a good beginning, and I just want to be more consistent from now on and show that coach can trust me." </div>

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