Game 2 Report

FIRST QUARTER

LAKERS 18

SAN ANTONIO 31

Highlight reel: Welcome to “The Manu Show.” This is Emanuel Ginobili’s world and everyone else is simply along for the ride. The Spurs love it. Tim Duncan doesn’t have to worry about carrying this team on his broad shoulders. These Spurs are built to win from the outside and the inside. Ginobili went to the basket, spinning and twirling and leaving Lakers in his wake. Kobe Bryant couldn’t stop him. Stephen Jackson started poorly again, which prompted Coach Gregg Popovich to yank him in favor of Ginobili. Jackson went scoreless in four minutes, going a fifth consecutive quarter without a point. That’s no problem with Ginobili working his magic and making the Lakers look bad. He had 10 points in eight minutes in the quarter.

Not in the box score: With Rick Fox and Devean George out, Coach Phil Jackson gave Brian Shaw a start in the backcourt with Derek Fisher. Bryant moved from guard to small forward. The Spurs had no injuries to report.

Winning numbers: The Spurs’ 12-for-18 shooting (66.7%).

Wrong numbers: The Lakers were outrebounded, 13-4.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Bryant 8; Spurs -- Ginobili 10, Bruce Bowen 8.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- Shaquille O’Neal 2; Spurs -- Duncan 5.

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SECOND QUARTER

LAKERS 43

SAN ANTONIO 60

Highlight reel: Trapped along the baseline and seemingly with nowhere to go, Ginobili leaned in for a jumper that was so far off the mark that the ball bounced off the top of the backboard. Then it bounced again and, incredibly, fell through the basket. Meanwhile back in the real world, the Lakers (read: Bryant) continued to force shots and the Spurs (read: Bowen) found plenty of open jumpers from the perimeter. Bowen would outscore Bryant, 9-6, in the quarter and 17-14 by halftime.

Not in the box score: Cheers for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Jeers for Bill Walton. How strange that the greatest centers in UCLA history would be treated so differently. Of course, Walton has an almost daily soapbox and lots of fans don’t like to hear what he has to say. Kareem said little in his stint as an analyst during March Madness. The Lakers could use either or both at this point. There’s little doubt that they’re in big trouble against the Spurs, who show no signs of weakening.

Winning numbers: Bowen’s three-for-four three-point shooting.

Wrong numbers: Bryant’s two-for-nine shooting.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal 15; Spurs -- Bowen 9, Tony Parker 8.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- Robert Horry 4; Spurs -- Duncan 4.

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THIRD QUARTER

LAKERS 67

SAN ANTONIO 94

Highlight reel: Mercy rule? The Spurs went on an 18-1 run to build an improbable 33-point lead after Kevin Willis (Kevin Willis!) made a 15-foot jumper from the wing. The Lakers had nothing, and a long fourth quarter of pondering Games 3 and 4 at Staples Center loomed. Bowen’s roll from beyond the three-point line continued. When he swished another from the corner, Bowen had a team playoff record with seven three-pointers (in eight tries) and the Spurs had a 79-56 lead. By the end of the quarter, Bowen had 27 points, a playoff high by a whopping 14 points.

Not in the box score: The Lakers looked hopeless, their bench useless, their role players invisible. All they had was Bryant and O’Neal, and the Spurs didn’t have to guess about where the Lakers were going and adjusted accordingly. The Spurs’ reserves had outscored their Laker counterparts, 29-5, through three quarters, keyed by Ginobili’s 17 points.

Winning numbers: Bowen’s four-for-five shooting.

Wrong number: The Laker reserves’ three points.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Bryant 10; Spurs -- Bowen 10.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 6; Spurs -- Duncan 4.

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FOURTH QUARTER

LAKERS 95

SAN ANTONIO 114

Highlight reel: Serious garbage time began earlier than in any Laker playoff game in recent memory. Jackson did the right thing by sitting Bryant and O’Neal to start the quarter, going with the youngsters. Matters got so out of hand that TNT decided to give its viewers an up-close-and-personal look inside the Spurs’ new training facility. Well, it was better than listening to Craig Sager try to report on how and why the Lakers fell apart in Game 2. Even the most-ardent Laker-haters had to be satisfied with the thumping the Spurs had delivered.

Not in the box score: Happy trails, Lakers. Starting today, this correspondent has hitched a ride on another bandwagon, checking in as the Mighty Ducks chase the Stanley Cup. The Lakers could use some of the pluck and luck the Ducks have displayed in reaching the conference finals for the first time in their history. At this rate, it will take a miraculous turnaround for the Lakers to reach the conference finals.

Winning numbers: The Spurs’ 2-0 series lead.

Wrong numbers: For the Lakers, the Spurs’ 10-for-16 shooting (62.5%).

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Kareem Rush 8; Spurs -- Speedy Claxton 8.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- Slava Medvedenko 4; Spurs -- Danny Ferry 3.