Duncan Puts on an MVP Show

Shaq was in a foul mood Tuesday night, and I’m not just talking about Spurs 88, Lakers 85.

Shaq was in a foul mood before the Lakers lost Game 2. You thought he had an issue with injured Spur center David Robinson?

He now appears to have one with Tim Duncan, and I’m not talking about an autograph slight.

It’s about the MVP.

Duncan won it, Shaq’s mad about it, and there was something to settle at Staples Center.

Before Shaq swatted a Duncan shot into the Spurs bench, before he rejected a Tony Parker jumper, Shaq took aim at San Antonio’s star forward.

Before tipoff.

Shaq said, “Congratulations.” Then he said, “In the state of California, there’s no justification when a 211 occurs. Once again, I’ve been robbed.”

Maybe that was Shaq speaking as Spider-Man.

Or maybe that was Shaq climbing up the wrong wall. Robbed?

Laker Coach Phil Jackson doesn’t think Shaq was robbed. “I think Tim Duncan is the MVP,” Jackson said.

Still, Shaq played like a man cheated. And Duncan played like a man backed into a corner.

Down 1-0 in this series, Duncan scored like an MVP (27 points), rebounded like an MVP (17) and blocked shots like an MVP (five). But he didn’t hold on to the ball like an MVP.

He committed 10 turnovers, three down the stretch, including one in the final seconds that gave the Lakers a chance to tie the score.

Up by two, Duncan wanted to give San Antonio a four-point lead. He held the ball in front of Shaq as the game clock ticked down to less than 10 seconds.

Shaq knocked the ball loose, and both players tumbled to the floor as the ball rolled into Lakers hands.

San Antonio held its breath until Kobe Bryant’s game-ending travel. The series is tied. The momentum shifts.

The Spurs got the victory they needed in Los Angeles, and their confidence soars.

Most Valuable Player?

On Tuesday night, with the Lakers mounting a charge, Shaq got the ball in his hands, his team down by three.

He shot and missed.

He won’t be spinning any more Spider-Man stories. He won’t be talking about phone calls from his stepfather, and why he was robbed of a trophy.

Maybe the Spurs should feel cheated. If they hadn’t thrown away Game 1, they’d be up 2-0 heading back to San Antonio.