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Game 2 Report

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Times Staff Writer

First Quarter

LAKERS 17 SAN ANTONIO 33

Highlight reel: Just in case the Lakers thought his dominant effort in Game 1 was a fluke, the Spurs’ Tony Parker took his game to a higher level to open Game 2. Parker made seven of 11 attempts without much defense from the Lakers to lead San Antonio to an early lead.

Not in the box score: How the Lakers stood around and looked clueless in their half-court offense, which certainly made things easier for the Spurs. The Lakers played as if they were continuing the fourth quarter of Game 1, instead of getting a fresh start featuring adjustments made between games.

Winning number: 63.6. The Spurs’ field-goal percentage on 14-for-22 shooting, including three of six from behind the three-point line.

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Wrong number: One. Free throws attempted by the Lakers, who did not attack the basket and played like strangers looking for jump shots.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Shaquille O’Neal 6, Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone 4. Spurs -- Parker 16, Tim Duncan 5, Hedo Turkoglu 4.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 4, Malone 3. Spurs -- Rasho Nesterovic 4, Bruce Bowen and Duncan 2.

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Second Quarter

LAKERS 45 SAN ANTONIO 61

Highlight reel: The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili gave the Lakers fits with a variety of plays ranging from spectacular to fundamentally sound. Ginobili opened the quarter with a backdoor layup and a perfect lob pass to Nesterovic, and finished with consecutive fastbreak layups to keep the Spurs in control.

Not in the box score: After the Lakers rode the inside scoring of O’Neal to cut the Spur lead to 11, their offense fell apart with turnovers and poor shot selection. So instead of ending the first half on a positive, the Lakers trailed by 16, just as they did after one quarter.

Winning number: Two. The amount of turnovers committed by the Spurs in the first half, compared to eight made by the Lakers.

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Wrong number: Zero. The amount of points scored by Bryant, who picked up his third foul and spent a good chunk of the quarter on the bench.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal 12, Slava Medvedenko 6. Spurs -- Duncan 11, Ginobili 8.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal, Payton and Bryant 2. Spurs -- Robert Horry 3, Ginobili and Turkoglu 2.

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Third Quarter

LAKERS 68 SAN ANTONIO 73

Highlight reel: Every now and then, O’Neal has a flashback where he finishes a dunk with force. After gathering an entry pass that led him underneath the backboard, O’Neal slammed home a right-hand power-jam over Nesterovic and Duncan.

Not in the box score: Throughout the playoffs, Coach Phil Jackson has turned to his bench near the end of the third quarter but not Wednesday. Jackson left Bryant, O’Neal, Payton and Malone on the floor and the Lakers finished the quarter with a strong run to trail by only five points heading into the fourth.

Winning number: 11. The amount of baskets scored by the Lakers in 19 attempts, led by Bryant’s five assists in the quarter.

Wrong number: Zero. The amount of points scored in the quarter by Spurs not named Duncan or Parker, which helped the Lakers get back into the game.

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Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal and Bryant 6, Malone 5, Payton 4. Spurs -- Duncan 8, Parker 4.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 4, Payton 3. Spurs -- Nesterovic, Bowen and Ginobili 1.

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Fourth Quarter

LAKERS 85 SAN ANTONIO 95

Highlight reel: With the Lakers making a late charge, the Spurs turned to Parker. He embarrassed Devean George with a crossover dribble and then scored with a soft touch over O’Neal, who was a step late for the block. Two minutes later, Parker clinched the victory with a basket from the top of the key.

Not in the box score: The Lakers failed to grab two defensive rebounds after missed free throws by Nesterovic. Both times, the Spurs were able to sneak inside and retain possession although the Lakers appeared to be in position to grab the ball.

Winning number: 17. Consecutive victories for the Spurs, who made enough plays down the stretch to improve to 6-0 in the playoffs, including 4-0 at the SBC Center. The Spurs are 5-0 against the Lakers in the playoffs at the SBC Center.

Wrong number: 11. Free throws the Lakers missed in the game, including five in the fourth quarter.

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Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal 9, Bryant 5. Spurs -- Parker 8, Ginobili and Turkoglu 5.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 5, Malone 3. Spurs -- Duncan 4, Bowen 3.

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