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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) – In a match of two Western Conference
contenders, San Antonio's Tim Duncan, David Robinson and a strong
supporting cast outlasted the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and
Shaquille O'Neal.
|  | | The Spurs' Tim Duncan, right, kicks the ball out to escape a double-team by Shaquille O'Neal and Horace Grant. |
With Duncan scoring 29 points and grabbing 12 rebounds and
Robinson reaching the 19,000-point plateau, the Spurs defeated the
two-dimensional Lakers 93-89 in overtime Friday night for their
sixth straight win.
"I thought both teams worked really hard, really got after each
other in a playoff-type atmosphere," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
said. "Every game now is huge for every team."
Bryant, who skipped the morning shootaround because of nausea,
scored 29 of his 38 points after halftime and had all the Lakers'
points in overtime as the Spurs outscored them 10-6.
O'Neal had 33 points and 16 rebounds, but had only 13 points
after halftime and missed the only shot he took in overtime.
He and Bryant combined for all but 18 of the Lakers' points.
"Their role players didn't take a lot of shots," Robinson
said. "Their role players are important to them. When they come in
and hit some shots, it's a key for them."
For the Spurs, Derek Anderson had 21 points, Robinson 11 and Avery
Johnson had four of his 10 in overtime.
Bryant missed a long jumper with less than two seconds left in
the extra period. San Antonio's Danny Ferry rebounded, was fouled
and made a free throw for the final margin.
Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson thought Bryant, who took five of
the Lakers' six shots in overtime and made three, might have been
trying too hard to do everything himself.
"We got a bit erratic there," Jackson said. "We started
playing a little too much one-on-one instead of staying with what
was working for us throughout the game."
Said Bryant: "Normally we have a well-rounded attack, but
tonight the shots just weren't falling for us."
San Antonio's Anderson had his long jumper at the buzzer of
regulation bounce off the back of the rim to send the game into
overtime tied at 83.
Bryant, fouled by Duncan as he tried to get off a jumper, made
both free throws to tie it at 83 with 17 seconds remaining in the
fourth quarter. Robinson had given San Antonio the lead 16 seconds
earlier by making two from the line.
The Spurs led 80-75 with three minutes left, but didn't score
again until Duncan made a free throw with 1:09 remaining in
regulation.
Earlier, it took Robinson just 1:07 to reach the career scoring
plateau, as he made an 8-foot hook for San Antonio's first points
of the game. His slam dunk four minutes later tied him with
one-time Spurs player Dale Ellis at No. 35 on the league's career
scoring list at 19,004. Then, Robinson made that spot his own with
a tip-in five minutes before halftime.
"It's nice to get there, even though my role has changed, not
scoring so much now. My job now is mostly to play solid defense,"
said the Spurs' captain, who now has 19,009 points in his 12-year
NBA career.
He drew his fourth foul and sat down with five minutes remaining
in the third quarter, then stayed on the sidelines until coming
back in with 7:58 to play and the Spurs ahead 72-70.
Bryant, who had a cold-shooting first half, went 6-for-9 and
scored 13 points in the third quarter and the game was tied at 66
after three. He finished the game 16-for-33.
After falling behind 44-29 in the second quarter, Los Angeles
rallied with a 13-0 streak over the final four minutes before
halftime, including outscoring the Spurs 8-0 after Robinson drew
his third foul and went to the bench.
Game notes
Robinson already was No. 35 on the NBA career rebounding
list. ... Jackson said Isaiah Rider, who missed Friday's game as
the first of a five-game suspension for failing to comply with the
league's anti-drug policy, can still make a contribution to the
team when he returns. Jackson said Rider definitely would dress for
the first game after his suspension ends, March 16 at Washington.
"He has to be on the floor; that's part of the contract. But I
don't know whether he will play or not, that's something we'll see
that night." Rider maintains he's never tested positive for drugs.
... Popovich still considers the Lakers the team to beat in the
postseason: "They're the champions. You bet they're the team to
beat."
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
San Antonio Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 99
Cleveland 84
Philadelphia 108
Atlanta 103
Boston 104
Washington 72
Miami 86
Minnesota 79
New Jersey 96
New York 83
Detroit 108
Chicago 75
Dallas 102
Golden State 73
Utah 107
Phoenix 95
Toronto 110
Seattle 99
Vancouver 95
Portland 85
San Antonio 93
LA Lakers 89
Sacramento 110
Denver 104
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Shaquille O'Neal follows his own missed free throw with a hoop.
avi: 684 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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