Game 6 Report

FIRST QUARTER

SAN ANTONIO 29 LAKERS 25

Highlight reel: Kobe Bryant made his first two baskets look too easy against a flat-footed San Antonio defense. From the left wing, Bryant drove around Stephen Jackson and finished with a soft right-handed layup. He scored his second basket with a drive from the right baseline around Bruce Bowen and completed the move with a scoop reverse layup in front of David Robinson.

Not in the box score: The number of empty Staples Center seats at the start of a game that had a scheduled 5 p.m. tipoff. The opening minutes had the feel of a Clipper-regular season game more than a key playoff contest, which helped the Spurs get off to a fast start behind Tim Duncan’s early scoring.

Winning number: 6, points in the quarter by Laker guard Derek Fisher, highlighted by a rare four-point play when he was fouled by Tony Parker on a three-pointer.

Wrong number: 5, turnovers committed in the quarter by both the Lakers and Spurs. Bryant, Fisher and Duncan had two each.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Bryant 9, Shaquille O’Neal 8; Spurs -- Duncan 15.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal and Bryant 2 each; Spurs -- Robinson 3.

*

SECOND QUARTER

SAN ANTONIO 54 LAKERS 50

Highlight reel: Duncan showcased his all-around skills with the type of play Ralph Sampson always wanted to make. After defending Laker forward Slava Medvedenko’s drive to the basket, Duncan grabbed a rebound and dribbled the length of the court before passing to Malik Rose, who completed the play with a nifty layup.

Not in the box score: How helpless Rose looked trying to defend O’Neal in the low post. The Laker big man scored with an array of shots, including a jump hook and power layup that turned into a three-point play thanks to a foul by Rose.

Winning number: 11, points in the quarter by Parker, who responded positively after being yelled at and benched by San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich in the first quarter.

Wrong number: Two, combined points scored by the Lakers’ Devean George, Robert Horry and Brian Shaw, who teamed to make only one of seven attempts from the field.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal 13, Medvedenko 6; Spurs -- Parker 11.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 3; Spurs -- Duncan 3.

*

THIRD QUARTER

SAN ANTONIO 78 LAKERS 69

Highlight reel: O’Neal went deep into his bag of tricks to score a difficult three-point play midway into the period. Horry got the play started from the left corner, passing over the top to O’Neal, who shook off a grabbing foul by Robinson and scored with a no-look hook that banked into the basket.

Not in the box score: How Duncan put together a series of post moves against O’Neal and Horry that kept the Spurs ahead. Duncan dusted off his up-and-under and baby hook shots as he took the play to the Laker big men. The Spurs closed the quarter by scoring on eight of their last nine possessions, setting the stage for the runaway final period.

Winning number: 14, points scored by Duncan in the quarter on five-for-11 shooting, giving him 33 points heading into the fourth quarter.

Wrong number: Zero, combined baskets in the quarter by Fisher and Horry, who teamed to miss six shots from the field.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Bryant and O’Neal 5 each; Spurs -- Duncan 14.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 3; Spurs -- Duncan 5.

*

FOURTH QUARTER

SAN ANTONIO 110 LAKERS 82

Highlight reel: Duncan and Parker teamed for a textbook give-and-go play that had to make Laker fans, including actor Jack Nicholson, wince. From the left wing, Parker passed to Duncan, who gave the ball right back to the Spur point guard, who beat Jannero Pargo and then lofted a tear-drop shot over O’Neal that hit nothing but net.

Not in the box score: The lame rebounding effort the Lakers gave on key plays early in the quarter. Kevin Willis, who did not play in the first half, scored two follow-up baskets around O’Neal, and Manu Ginobili, who outplayed Bryant in the quarter, picked up a hustle rebound off a transition miss by the Spurs.

Winning numbers: 32 and 13, points scored by the Spurs in the quarter and the points they gave up to the Lakers, who missed 15 of 21 attempts from the field.

Wrong number: 3, baskets made by Bryant in the second half in 12 attempts, including a struggling one-for-seven effort in the fourth quarter.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal 5, Medvedenko 4; Spurs -- Parker 8, Ginobili 6.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- Samaki Walker 2; Spurs -- Duncan 6.