De-Crowning Moment

The Lakers are perhaps not the finest team ever assembled as originally believed, but apparently they’re willing to work toward something like it. That’s how they eliminated the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Playing to take what the Spurs took from them a year ago, in another Game 6 on the same floor, the Lakers were 88-76 winners at Staples Center.

The eighth team in NBA history to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games, the Lakers play the winner of the Sacramento-Minnesota conference semifinal. The Timberwolves lead, three games to two.

Kobe Bryant, who scored 26 points, 12 in the Lakers’ 32-point fourth quarter, called it “a great accomplishment.” Shaquille O’Neal had 17 points and 19 rebounds, Gary Payton scored 15 points and the Lakers, all of them, defended the Spurs with close-out intentions.

“It feels good to kind of get revenge,” Bryant said. “But there’s many more obstacles to overcome.”

The Spurs had won 17 consecutive games through the series’ second game, momentum that led Coach Phil Jackson to remind them all that these could be their final days as Lakers, given their fluid and aging roster. More critically, probably, he asked them again to defend the Spurs’ pick-and-roll attack more aggressively. And almost immediately the Tim Duncan-Tony Parker tandem that ran them out of Games 1 and 2 became more manageable.

Duncan scored 20 points Saturday, but needed 18 shots for them. Parker was four for 18, missed all five of his three-point attempts and scored nine points. The Spurs got help from their bench -- Manu Ginobili, Devin Brown and, surprise, Robert Horry combined for 43 points -- but the Lakers, led by Karl Malone against Duncan, were committed defensively. The Spurs shot 30.2%, 21.3% in the second half, 13% in the third quarter.

“We did not want to take this team too lightly and we did not want to give them any hope,” said O’Neal, who blocked five shots, all in the second half. “I knew we had it in us.”

Malone, on a sore right ankle, was especially rough on Duncan, and that was the plan. The second-leading scorer in NBA history hardly made an offensive dent in the series, but dinged up Duncan with hard forearms and hard strips.

“I was not even thinking about scoring a lot,” he said. “I came into this series defensive-minded. I realize I have to be more offensive-minded as we move along here in this [postseason], but in this series I knew defense would play a big part.

“At some point in time, you say to yourself, ‘Hopefully, you are appreciated for that.’ I hope so. But we just won the series.”

The crowd chanted Bryant’s name in the fourth quarter, as it often does. Bryant gave it points and athletic defense, as he often does.

The Lakers pulled away gradually, the Spurs clinging to their defense and yet unable to strike offensively. In the final act of a desperate team, Spur Coach Gregg Popovich ordered O’Neal fouled -- the Hack-a-Shaq -- going into the final two minutes.

O’Neal made five of his final eight free throws late in the fourth quarter, his face stone, his right hand over his head, holding the pose of the perfect free throw, while his friends and family laughed and celebrated. The Lakers made 19 of 30 free throws in the final quarter.

They were moments born two nights before. Fisher stood up 7:39 into the game and the applause started at the floor seats. Within seconds it had reached above the luxury suites and become a standing ovation.

They thanked him for the shot that fell seven minutes and 39.4 seconds before, the shot that brought them to the verge of the Western Conference finals.

It was his first appearance since Thursday night’s Game 5, won by the Lakers, 74-73, at the end on Fisher’s heave to glory. The arena suddenly had become dotted with Fisher’s No. 2s, and fish cutouts, and various fish paraphernalia.

On cue, Fisher made a 16-foot jumper from the right side, the Lakers led, 18-11, and the Lakers appeared to have carried the momentum of Thursday into Saturday.

The feel-good moments pretty much ended there, as the Lakers and Spurs went hard into the fourth quarter.

The Lakers pushed, the Spurs pushed back. Malone and Duncan were assessed technical fouls with 1:24 left in the first half when they shoved each other under the rim. Malone was particularly forceful and Duncan wouldn’t have it. After the referees sorted it out, Malone and Duncan jawed for nearly half a minute.

Not five minutes into the third quarter, Bryant fell for a loose ball and Kevin Willis, 41 years old but 7 feet and 245 pounds, fell with him. On the way up, it appeared Willis believed Bryant flipped the ball at him, so he hoisted himself up on Bryant’s leg and Bryant shoved him away and then Payton believed Willis kicked Malone.

So everybody stared and Willis walked away and Payton trotted over and gave Willis another shove, explaining he wouldn’t have Malone treated as such. Willis glowered and Payton got a technical foul.

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Phil Jackson has coached in a Game 6 18 times with a record of 13-5 (.722). A look at his Game 6 record with Lakers:

1999-2000

* Lost to Portland, 103-93, in Western finals (won Game 7).

* Def. Indiana, 116-111, in NBA Finals to win title. 2001-02

* Def. Sacramento in Western finals, 112-106 (won Game 7).

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2002-03

* Def. Minnesota, 101-85, to eliminate Timberwolves.

* Lost to San Antonio, 110-82, eliminated from playoffs.

2003-04

* Def. San Antonio, 88-76, and advanced to conference finals.