Solid D
01-05-2005, 01:02 PM
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~25388~2635047,00.html
Lakers can't digest 100-83 loss to Spurs
By Ross Siler , Staff Writer
There was Parmesan chicken in one tray, vegetable lasagna in another and ample quantities of salad. A German chocolate cake and carrot cake rounded out the offerings in the visiting locker room at SBC Center on Tuesday night.
Too bad the positives ended at the postgame spread for the Lakers in the wake of an ugly 100-83 loss to the San Antonio Spurs before 18,797. Everything else just left a bad taste in their mouths.
"At least they fed us after the game,' Kobe Bryant said, bringing the Lakers full circle on a night in which Rudy Tomjanovich raved about the tacos served at dinner 11/2 hours before tipoff.
Instead of celebrating Derek Fisher's miracle 0.4-second shot as they did only eight months ago here in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, the Lakers were left with four courses and little more.
They fell behind by 29 points in the second quarter, San Antonio matched a franchise record with 15 3-pointers and Bryant finished with just 17 points on 5 of 16 shooting, his streak of three consecutive 40-point games coming to an end.
The Spurs did what plantar fasciitis, a sprained shoulder and bruised thumb could not, and sent Bryant to the bench. He played only 35 minutes Tuesday, his fewest in the past 23 games.
"We didn't do much of anything right,' said Lamar Odom, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes. "Today was one of the worse games we've probably played the whole year.
"They just moved the ball. They just did what they wanted on the offensive end. Everybody was wide open. We just got our butts kicked pretty bad by one of the best teams in the league.'
The Spurs might not have been able to exorcise all the memories from Fisher's fling. But Coyote the mascot did body-slam a fan wearing a Bryant jersey in the first half and San Antonio flattened the Lakers on the court. That should have been good enough.
It was so bad that at one point in the second quarter, San Antonio had 18 assists to 1 for the Lakers. It was so bad that the Spurs led 56-32 at halftime with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker having combined for all of six points.
It was so bad that Bryant did not play in the fourth quarter and 37- year-old Tony Massenburg did. It was so bad that USC put up more points than the Lakers in the first half of the Orange Bowl.
"I thought it was a rude awakening,' said Tomjanovich, whose team had played its past six games at Staples Center and will face Dallas tonight.
The Spurs (26-7) improved to an NBA-best 15-1 at home. Bruce Bowen finished with a career-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, and Brent Barry added 14 points with four 3-pointers off the bench. Duncan and Parker combined for just 14.
"We tried to take away some things and they had answers somewhere else,' Tomjanovich said. "They're a balanced team and they got a lot of veterans and everybody chipped in.'
The Lakers led once all night as Bryant hit a pair of free throws to open the game. But San Antonio tore apart the Lakers (16-13) after that, shooting 61.9 percent and connecting on six 3-pointers in taking a 32-18 lead after the first quarter.
San Antonio was at its machine- like best throughout the first half. On one possession, Bowen looked inside to Rasho Nesterovic, who held the ball just long enough for Bryant to come help on defense. Nesterovic then dumped a pass back to Bowen for a 3-pointer from the corner. The Spurs had assists on their first six baskets and 12 of 13 field goals in the quarter. Bowen, meanwhile, finished the quarter with three 3-pointers and 11 points.
"We just didn't do anything right defensively,' Odom said. "They were about to get whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It was a pretty easy game for them. I'm a little embarrassed but it happens.'
Ross Siler can be reached at (818) 713-3610.
Lakers can't digest 100-83 loss to Spurs
By Ross Siler , Staff Writer
There was Parmesan chicken in one tray, vegetable lasagna in another and ample quantities of salad. A German chocolate cake and carrot cake rounded out the offerings in the visiting locker room at SBC Center on Tuesday night.
Too bad the positives ended at the postgame spread for the Lakers in the wake of an ugly 100-83 loss to the San Antonio Spurs before 18,797. Everything else just left a bad taste in their mouths.
"At least they fed us after the game,' Kobe Bryant said, bringing the Lakers full circle on a night in which Rudy Tomjanovich raved about the tacos served at dinner 11/2 hours before tipoff.
Instead of celebrating Derek Fisher's miracle 0.4-second shot as they did only eight months ago here in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, the Lakers were left with four courses and little more.
They fell behind by 29 points in the second quarter, San Antonio matched a franchise record with 15 3-pointers and Bryant finished with just 17 points on 5 of 16 shooting, his streak of three consecutive 40-point games coming to an end.
The Spurs did what plantar fasciitis, a sprained shoulder and bruised thumb could not, and sent Bryant to the bench. He played only 35 minutes Tuesday, his fewest in the past 23 games.
"We didn't do much of anything right,' said Lamar Odom, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes. "Today was one of the worse games we've probably played the whole year.
"They just moved the ball. They just did what they wanted on the offensive end. Everybody was wide open. We just got our butts kicked pretty bad by one of the best teams in the league.'
The Spurs might not have been able to exorcise all the memories from Fisher's fling. But Coyote the mascot did body-slam a fan wearing a Bryant jersey in the first half and San Antonio flattened the Lakers on the court. That should have been good enough.
It was so bad that at one point in the second quarter, San Antonio had 18 assists to 1 for the Lakers. It was so bad that the Spurs led 56-32 at halftime with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker having combined for all of six points.
It was so bad that Bryant did not play in the fourth quarter and 37- year-old Tony Massenburg did. It was so bad that USC put up more points than the Lakers in the first half of the Orange Bowl.
"I thought it was a rude awakening,' said Tomjanovich, whose team had played its past six games at Staples Center and will face Dallas tonight.
The Spurs (26-7) improved to an NBA-best 15-1 at home. Bruce Bowen finished with a career-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, and Brent Barry added 14 points with four 3-pointers off the bench. Duncan and Parker combined for just 14.
"We tried to take away some things and they had answers somewhere else,' Tomjanovich said. "They're a balanced team and they got a lot of veterans and everybody chipped in.'
The Lakers led once all night as Bryant hit a pair of free throws to open the game. But San Antonio tore apart the Lakers (16-13) after that, shooting 61.9 percent and connecting on six 3-pointers in taking a 32-18 lead after the first quarter.
San Antonio was at its machine- like best throughout the first half. On one possession, Bowen looked inside to Rasho Nesterovic, who held the ball just long enough for Bryant to come help on defense. Nesterovic then dumped a pass back to Bowen for a 3-pointer from the corner. The Spurs had assists on their first six baskets and 12 of 13 field goals in the quarter. Bowen, meanwhile, finished the quarter with three 3-pointers and 11 points.
"We just didn't do anything right defensively,' Odom said. "They were about to get whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It was a pretty easy game for them. I'm a little embarrassed but it happens.'
Ross Siler can be reached at (818) 713-3610.