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SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers' 1-2 punch of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal proved better than the San Antonio Spurs' tandem of Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Bryant poured in 45 points and O'Neal added 28 and 11 rebounds as the Lakers took the opener of the Western Conference finals, 104-90 over the Spurs for their 16th consecutive win. The game belonged to Bryant, who scored 15 points in the third quarter and made 19-of-35 shots, shredding the defensive efforts of Antonio Daniels. "I think I was getting some nice looks," Bryant said. "They have to respect my teammates. We did a good job of moving the ball and a good job of spacing." Double-teamed repeatedly, Duncan collected 28 points and 14 boards while committing an uncharacteristic seven turnovers. Robinson was limited to 14 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes. "Their whole defensive scheme involves funneling guys into the middle and trying to bottle things up in there," Bryant said. "I'll go right at them. I can't let myself be intimidated, but we have to pick our spots." Bryant had four points in a 9-0 run that put Los Angeles ahead for good at 18-14 with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. After the Spurs climbed within 31-30 on a jumper by Robinson 7:41 before halftime, it was O'Neal's turn. The 7-1, 315-pounder, who played high school basketball in San Antonio, had nine points as Los Angeles extended to a 49-38 advantage with 1:15 left in the second quarter. "This team is hungry," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said. "They are experienced and playoff hardened. They know what happened last year." The Lakers opened the second half with seven straight points, capped by a 3-pointer by Derek Fisher, for a 58-42 lead. The Spurs got back in it with a 14-2 run as Daniels had six points to slice the deficit to 66-58. San Antonio regained possession, but Duncan had his layup attempt blocked by Robert Horry. Bryant took the ball upcourt, drove past Danny Ferry and hit a tough jumper while being fouled. Bryant made the free throw and O'Neal followed with another three-point play as Los Angeles took an 80-66 lead into the final period. The Spurs got no closer than nine points thereafter. "It was a killer," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "Every time we would get within eight or 10 points, someone would make a pass and lay it in or Kobe would be in the middle. You have to give LA credit for their aggressiveness." "We're just taking care of business," Bryant said. "We worked pretty hard during the week and came in with a solid game plan. The win was big because it takes the momentum from them and keeps the pressure on them." Los Angeles appeared unstoppable at times in perhaps its best effort of the winning streak. When Bryant or O'Neal were faced with double-teams, the Lakers connected on 7-of-14 from beyond the arc, including three by Fisher. "We knew we had to shoot from the three tonight and extend their defense," Jackson said. "The wrinkles we used this game helped us get Kobe in the lane." Although Bryant was criticized earlier this season by O'Neal and others for taking too many shots, his trigger finger could not be questioned Saturday. He made 5-of-11 shots in the final quarter as he recorded the highest point total by a Spurs' playoff opponent. O'Neal seems to have taken a liking to his teammate and was effusive in his praise. "Kobe's been playing phenomenal," O'Neal said. "He's the best player in the league by far, especially when he's playing like that." Los Angeles held a 49-40 rebounding edge, including 10 by Bryant. The Lakers handed out 24 assists, compared to 17 for San Antonio. The Spurs misfired on 10-of-15 3-pointers. Daniels netted 20 points but could not prevent San Antonio from suffering its first home loss since April 12. "I feel we didn't play as well as we wanted to play," Robinson said. "When you lose home-court, it's disappointing. It's kind of a challenge. We know how to play." Game Two is Monday night in San Antonio. "For us to win would have put some doubt in their minds," Popovich said. "We have a big job ahead of us on Monday night." |
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