Friday, January 19, 2007 Sayson: Lakers KO Spurs By Homer Sayson Secondovertime
CHICAGO - Staggering from an 88-79 deficit with 4:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, the mighty Spurs were one punch away from being knocked out by the visiting Lakers last night at the AT & T Center in San Antonio.
The Spurs, however, weren't quite done yet. They took a page from one of Hollywood's famous scripts and pulled a Rocky Balboa moment.
Led by the whirling dervish that is Manu Ginobili, the Spurs went on a 12-2 run to take a 91-90 edge with 2:54 left to play. It set the stage for a dramatic finish, one that had always characterized this storied Spurs-Lakers rivalry.
But the fierce rally turned out to be San Antonio's death rattle. They couldn't sustain their late-game surge, and when Kobe Bryant swished a nifty fadeaway junper that broke a 94-94 tie with 1:24 to go, the Lakers were on their way to a very satisfying 100-96 victory.
Under the shadow of Dallas and Phoenix in the West, the Lakers have now won three straight, quietly moving up with a 26-13 won-lost record.
As expected, Kobe led the Lakers with 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting. He also had six rebounds and eight assists. Bryant missed both his 3-point attempts, but he made 10-of-11 free throws.
The Lakers shot 38-of-81 field goals (46.9 percent). They got out-rebounded 40-39, but they edged San Antonio in assists, 20-14, and had fewer turnovers, 17 to 19. But the real killer was the Lakers bench, who outscored the Spurs reserves 33-21.
Trampled by the Bulls, 99-87, last Monday, the Spurs woes continue. Besides their defense showing too many holes, their offense sputtered. San Antonio made only 34 of 78 shots (43.6 percent). They missed 16 of 22 3-point shots and they clanked nine free throws, which is simply too many in a tight match.
Tim Duncan finished with 26 and nine rebounds. Tony Parker recovered from a slump and rattled off 25 and five assists while Ginobili added 16. The Big Three, however, combined for a stunning 15 turnovers, including one by Parker which killed the Spurs momentum in the endgame.
After a torried 6-1 start, the Spurs have dropped to 27-13. Clearly, this isn't the same feared Spurs that won it all just two years ago. But coach Gregg Poppovich insists they will be fine during the playoffs.
I certainy hope so.
DUNCAN INTERVIEW. Talking to Tim Duncan is like talking to the Dalai Lama. It's all serious. No room for useless banter, not even for a little laugh. But at least he talks, which couldn't be said of all NBA stars, especially one as pedigreed as an MVP winner.
I had a chance to speak to Duncan last Monday at the United Center. He was polite and although he was visibly upset after a loss, he answered all the reporters' questions.
Duncan, who hates wearing a suit, wore a pair of faded jeans and a loose light brown sweater with the logo SJC in front. To the fashion impaired, SJC stands for Sean John Collection, a P Diddy creation.
Before he stepped inside the Spurs team bus, which sat on one of the United Center's loading docks, Tim gladly posed for a photo-op with yours truly.
