SPURS 110, LAKERS 82: Tim Duncan scores 37 as San Antonio eliminates the three-time defending champion, a result that has Kobe Bryant in tears.
By Associated Press
Published May 16, 2003
LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant left the court in tears as the Lakers' three-season championship reign came to a decisive end.
"I hate this feeling, I don't ever want to feel it again," Bryant said Thursday night after a 110-82 loss to the Spurs.
San Antonio, the last team other than L.A. to win a title, had been ousted by the Lakers in each of the past two seasons.
"We've been put down by these guys the last couple of years," Tim Duncan said after leading San Antonio with 37 points and 16 rebounds. "More than ending their reign, that felt a lot better - ending their season and going on."
Tony Parker, who turns 21 Saturday, added 27 points for the Spurs, who scored 44 of the game's final 62.
L.A. was the league's best from 2000-02 - but it won't join the Celtics as the only NBA teams to win more than three consecutive championships. The Celtics won eight from 1959-66.
The Lakers had won 13 straight playoff series under coach Phil Jackson and were 4-0 under him when facing elimination.
In this one, they were tired and beat up - and out of contention midway through the fourth quarter.
The last team to eliminate L.A. from the playoffs was San Antonio, which swept the Lakers in the 1999 conference semifinals en route to its only championship. The Lakers hired Jackson shortly thereafter.
L.A. swept the Spurs in the 2001 conference finals, beating them by 39 and 29 points in the last two games. And the Lakers eliminated San Antonio in five games in the conference semifinals last season.
Jackson-coached teams had won a record 25 consecutive playoff series dating to 1996, and his nine titles are tied for the most in league history with former Boston coach Red Auerbach.
There won't be a 10th - at least not until next season.
"They left no doubt about the fact that they were the better team in this series," Jackson said. "We're severely disappointed we couldn't make a run for the championship."
L.A. overcame an 11-19 start to finish 50-32 and was seeded fifth in the West. The Spurs (60-22) have homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
"We finally played the defense in the second half that got us to this point," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Regarding the Lakers, Popovich said: "I've been amazed at what they've done. They've been great, they are great."
Shaquille O'Neal led L.A. with 31 points and 10 rebounds. He was taken out with 4:34 remaining and San Antonio leading 98-76.
"It's very, very disappointing," O'Neal said. "We've been celebrating the last three years, and we would have liked to have gotten it this year. But it's been an unusual year. It was kind of a different team and a different feel out there.
"We had an unbelievable run. Ever since Phil came, we've been enjoying nothing but success, and this is the first time we're not feeling success."
Bryant added 20 points and didn't take the loss well. Derek Fisher also left the court in tears.
Duncan, who finished 16-for-25 from the field, scored the first four of the fourth to give the Spurs an 82-69 lead. A basket by Manu Ginobili made it 84-70 with 10:07 remaining.
Ginobili's 3-pointer with 8:09 remaining made it 91-74, and the Lakers were through.
"We didn't want to take it to seven with these guys," Duncan said. "We did not want to let up at all. We just wanted to play it all the way through to the end."
