Spurs Get Free Ride on Divac’s 2 Costly Misses : NBA playoffs: Lakers blow chance to win, then lose in overtime, 97-90, to fall behind in series, 2-0.

He was barely audible at first, speaking in whispers with his head down, as if the words would have mattered anyway. Really, what could he have said?

Vlade Divac had just missed two free throws with 4.6 seconds left in regulation that would have put the Lakers ahead Monday night. And midway through overtime, he threw away a pass that became a critical turnover. So, sitting at a locker stall, he was feeling exposed for reasons other than the fact that his recently showered body was covered only by a towel.

His coach, Del Harris, had already insisted that this 97-90 loss to San Antonio at the Alamodome wasn’t the fault of his starting center, that it was really a combination of an unlikely offensive windfall from Dennis Rodman and the Lakers’ 39.1% shooting from the field that allowed the Spurs to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals.

It’s just that Divac wasn’t buying.

“It hurts a lot,” he said. “Not just me. I had the game in my hands and just missed two free throws and let San Antonio win the second game.”

It was John Starks a day later. Two tries from the line, closing seconds of the fourth quarter, and even one would have put the pressure on the other team.

Instead, a crushing defeat.

“I don’t know about luck,” San Antonio guard Avery Johnson said. “But pretty much, they gave us back the game.”

The Lakers had already attacked David Robinson with single coverage and lived to tell, Robinson making only six-of-26 shots en route to 22 points, mainly because he was 10 for 10 from the line, and 16 rebounds. They had received a second consecutive outstanding game from Elden Campbell--25 points and a playoff career-high 18 rebounds--virtually offsetting Rodman’s 22 points and 22 rebounds.

And now, here they were in position to win. Divac, fouled by Rodman as he rolled into the lane for the potential go-ahead basket, was at the line with the score tied and 4.6 seconds left--a 77.7% free-throw shooter during the regular season and two for two in this game, preparing to be the hero.

Divac: “I was completely sure, 100%, that I was going to make both.”

The first try hit the front of the rim.

Divac: “When I missed the first, I was sure I was going to make the second.”

Both benches and the 26,127 fans stood. He took a deep breath, exhaled, then released the ball.

It went long.

Divac: “I was in shock when I saw the second one go back. I was in shock.”

Sean Elliott grabbed the rebound, and the Spurs called a timeout. They didn’t come close to winning in regulation, getting only Robinson’s jumper that didn’t draw iron, but overtime at 83-83 wasn’t bad considering the alternative.

San Antonio moved out to an 88-86 lead with 2:52 remaining in overtime, a score that included two free throws Divac did make 14 seconds earlier. The Lakers called time out on the ensuing possession with 2:32 left, then sent Divac to the baseline, near their bench, to throw the ball in.

He spotted George Lynch, who had made a couple of critical fourth-quarter shots, near the free-throw line. Divac lobbed the ball into the lane, but too far. Doc Rivers grabbed it and would have raced to the other end for a layup except that he couldn’t get complete control.

This only delayed the Laker agony. When Lynch fouled Elliott with a second left on the shot clock, the Spurs got another 24 seconds to shoot. Robinson capitalized by putting in his own miss, and San Antonio had a 90-86 advantage with 1:57 to play--and a key installment of the 9-0 run that earned the victory.

Divac, proud of his maturation the last two seasons while becoming a team leader, took the blame and took it hard. Two missed free throws, one bad pass, one Laker more dejected than anyone else, even as teammates tried to rally him with the notion that this might have been only the second of seven games.

“But I know it’s a big thing,” Divac said. “I missed the most important free throws of my life. If I could have made those two free throws and we had won the game, I could have guaranteed we would go to the Western finals. I have that much confidence.”

Somebody asked Divac if he still does.

“We’ll see when I wake up tomorrow,” he replied. “Tough loss. Tough loss. A loss unlike any other. I had it in my hands.”

Laker Notes

Nick Van Exel played 52 of a possible 53 minutes. . . . One game after suffering a mild concussion, George Lynch played 27 minutes, his most since Feb. 24, including the entire fourth quarter and overtime in place of Cedric Ceballos. Lynch had 13 points and eight rebounds.