GAME REPORT

First Quarter

76ers: 22

Lakers: 23

Highlight Reel: Shaquille O’Neal’s quick-step, twirl-left move early in the game that made him look like he was a 6-foot speedburner guard.

It’s Not in the Box Score: The Lakers got two possessions on jump balls in the period. Shaq illegally poked the ball on the opening tip. Later, on a jump ball in which the Lakers were at a height disadvantage, the 76ers tapped it out of bounds.

Winning Numbers: 12, the number of points Allen Iverson scored. He recovered from a three-of-eight shooting start and kept it from being a blowout.

Wrong Numbers: 0 of 3, one of four--shooting by Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant.

Leading Scorers: Lakers, Rick Fox 10, O’Neal 7; 76ers, Iverson 12, Eric Snow 4.

Leading Rebounders: Lakers, O’Neal 5, Fox 4; 76ers, Tyrone Hill and Iverson, 3 each.

Second Quarter

76ers: 56

Lakers: 50

Highlight Reel: Iverson spinning and shooting, stopping and falling back, cutting off screens, carrying the ball or traveling with it without any calls, stealing the ball and scoring, dashing around the court like some kind of supersonic mosquito.

It’s Not in the Box Score: The rust in the Lakers’ shooting and movement. There were questions about what the nine days off would mean. After the second period, there were no more questions.

Winning Number: Eight, the number of points scored by reserve forward/center Matt Geiger.

Wrong Number: Two, points for Bryant, making his halftime total four points on two-of-10 shooting. Clank.

Leading Scorers: Lakers, O’Neal 11, Brian Shaw 4; 76ers, Iverson 18, Geiger 8.

Leading Rebounders: Lakers, O’Neal and Shaw 3 each; 76ers, Dikembe Mutombo 8.

Third Quarter

76ers: 79

Lakers: 77

Highlight Reel: O’Neal, who somewhere in the middle of the period decided, as he did so many times in last season’s playoffs, that he would not let his team lose and went on a dunking, rebounding binge.

It’s Not in the Box Score: The presence of Tyronn Lue, the 6-foot reserve who really shouldn’t be needed much in this series by the Lakers, but who kept making great passes and steals. He had three assists and two steals.

Winning Number: 14, the points O’Neal scored until the end of the period after the 76ers had their biggest lead at 73-58.

Wrong Number: Five, Bryant’s point total in the period that left him still in single digits for the game at nine.

Leading Scorers: Lakers, O’Neal 18, Bryant 5; 76ers, Iverson 8, Hill 4.

Leading Rebounders: Lakers, O’Neal 6, Horace Grant 3; 76ers, Aaron McKie 2.

Fourth Quarter

76ers: 94

Lakers: 94

Highlight Reel: Just as the announcer said there were two minutes left, Bryant drove, hung, dipped and wrapped around a pass to O’Neal underneath. Slam dunk, Lakers lead, 94-92, after what had seemed like an eternal uphill climb.

It’s Not in the Box Score: The dead silence and then gasp of relief as the running 25-footer by the 76ers’ Eric Snow at the buzzer, with the score tied at 94-94, hit the back of the rim and bounced away.

Winning number: 34-21, the Lakers’ run from the point Lue entered the game until the end of regulation. Will this become the team of Shaq, Kobe and Tyronn?

Wrong number: For 76ers, 3, points for Iverson.For Lakers, 2, points for Bryant.

Leading scorers: Lakers, O’Neal and Lue, 5 each; 76ers, Snow 4, Iverson 3.

Leading rebounders: Lakers, O’Neal 5, Horry 3; 76ers, Mutombo 3, McKie 3.

Overtime

76ers: 107

Lakers: 101

Highlight Reel: Iverson’s three-point shot that gave the 76ers a 101-99 lead, wiping out the 99-94 lead the Lakers had built barely a minute before.

It’s Not in the Box Score: The scramble, hustle, headlong dive, steal and quick-thinking timeout call while flat on his back by Rick Fox early in the overtime that led to the Lakers’ early lead. Also, the offensive foul on Robert Horry that stole Laker momentum.

Winning Number: Two of three, Iverson’s field goal shooting.

Wrong number: Six, the number of feet Fox’s entry pass flew over O’Neal’s head and out of bounds at a key moment right after Iverson’s three-pointer.

Leading scorers: Lakers, Bryant 4, O’Neal 3; 76ers, Iverson 7.

Leading rebounders: Lakers, O’Neal and Fox, 1 each; 76ers, Mutombo 2.