GAME 1 REPORT

FIRST QUARTER

Highlight reel: Chick’s high above the sideline. Jack’s courtside. Shaq’s on the floor. Kobe too. The Lakers and Trail Blazers are present and accounted for. Fans are revved up, putting together a decent “Let’s go, Lakers” chant before the opening tip. Welcome to Game 1 of the Lakers’ three-peat attempt. The Trail Blazers had other ideas, running off to an 18-9 lead.

Not in the box score: The Lakers had no answer for power forward Rasheed Wallace. Early on, he hit from the outside and made the Lakers come and get him on the perimeter.

Winning number: Nine points, the largest Trail Blazer lead.

Wrong number: Portland’s nine-for-24 shooting (37.5%).

Leading scorers: Lakers--Kobe Bryant 12, Shaquille O’Neal 4; Trail Blazers--Wallace 10, Bonzi Wells 6.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--Rick Fox 4; Trail Blazers--Wallace 5.

SECOND QUARTER

Highlight reel:Bryant’s inexcusable eight-second violation for failing to get the ball over midcourt in the final moments of the half pretty much summed up the play in the first 24 minutes. The Lakers took their first lead, 32-31, on reserve Devean George’s three-point basket.

Not in the box score: Robert Horry’s pain threshold. He seemed to be moving well enough after playing only three minutes in the regular-season finale Wednesday because of bleeding beneath an abdominal muscle.

Winning number: A two-point deficit for Portland was probably better than the Trail Blazers had any right to expect given their 34.8% shooting.

Wrong number: Zero, the number of points the Lakers got from Samaki Walker and Fox.

Leading scorers: Lakers--O’Neal 10; Trail Blazers--Derek Anderson 8, Wallace 5.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--O’Neal, George 3; Trail Blazers--Scottie Pippen, Dale Davis, Shawn Kemp 3.

THIRD QUARTER

Highlight reel: Bryant went to the free-throw line early in the quarter and made two. O’Neal dunked, was fouled and made one. Bryant made two more free throws. In three possessions, three Trail Blazers--Pippen, Wells and Davis--picked up their third fouls. It wasn’t inspiring stuff, but it took the Lakers from a two-point lead to a 59-50 advantage.

Not in the box score: No Laker seemed interested in guarding Anderson, who had six of the Trail Blazers’ final seven points in the quarter, giving them hope that a upset was still possible.

Winning number: The Lakers’ 16-8 run to open the quarter was the antidote to their first-half blahs.

Wrong number: By quarter’s end, Davis had four fouls and Pippen and Wells three apiece, a bad omen for the fourth for Portland.

Leading scorers: Lakers--Bryant 10, O’Neal 5; Trail Blazers--Anderson 6, Ruben Patterson 5.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--Bryant, Horry, O’Neal 3; Trail Blazers--Wallace, Wells 2.

FOURTH QUARTER

Highlight reel: With the Trail Blazers still within striking distance, Bryant leaped to block Patterson’s short-range jumper. A whistle sounded and a sellout crowd of 18,997 hushed, then roared when it was ruled to be a jump ball. Patterson fancies himself as a Bryant-stopper and he played credible defense on him in the past. But Bryant’s defensive gem and Pippen’s subsequent miss on a three-pointer after Patterson won the tip maintained an 89-82 Laker lead.

Not in the box score: Wallace was forced to guard O’Neal after Davis picked up his fifth foul with 8:11 remaining. Wallace made only one basket, a three-pointer, the rest of the game.

Winning numbers: Although he made only 10 of 28 shots, Bryant was 12 for 13 at the line.

Wrong number: The Trail Blazers missed 52 of 82 shots.

Leading scorers: Lakers--Bryant 8, Derek Fisher 6; Trail Blazers--Anderson 8, Pippen 7.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--Fisher 4, O’Neal 3; Trail Blazers--Wallace 5, Pippen 2.