`THE NUMBER IS TWELVE' AS SPURS LOOM, JACKSON MAKES POINT CLEAR: DOZEN WINS TO TITLE.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

The usual benign chaos engulfed the Lakers' locker room late Thursday - a bustle of reporters, cameras and cables surrounding Brian Shaw and Shaquille O'Neal - as strong an indication as any the defending champions remain alive and relevant, just in case it was in question.

They spoke in measured tones after finishing off the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2 in an uncommonly difficult first round. And on the dry-erase board, coach Phil Jackson had scrawled, in his unique shorthand, ``The # is 12,'' just to remind them of how far they have yet to go.

This could have been the scene of any other Lakers playoff triumph of the past three years, except for some glaring absences.

Rick Fox was missing. So, too, was the old bravado that used to accompany times like these.

Fox, headed for foot surgery to repair a tendon, will not be returning any time soon. Reconstructing their bravado might take a little longer, because the Timberwolves did what no first-round opponent has done in years: expose the Lakers' mortality.

A year ago, they dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers in three games. This time, the Lakers had to play twice as many games to advance - in part, because the league extended the first round, but also because the Timberwolves forced them to.

The Lakers did not conquer the Timberwolves, just survived them.

And now they open another series on the road, against the San Antonio Spurs, who had the league's best regular-season record (60-22), the coach of the year (Gregg Popovich) and the reigning MVP (Tim Duncan, who is favored to repeat).

``We have to be a little quicker on the jump,'' Jackson said. ``And obviously, the Spurs are a team we've played playoff games against in the last couple years. And we know this team. We know them very well.

``They have some different personalities in (Manu) Ginobili and Stephen Jackson playing roles for them this year, so they've got some added personnel. But we really know them well, not like Minnesota.''

Spurs guard Tony Parker is a younger, better version of Minnesota's Troy Hudson. Duncan lacks Kevin Garnett's all-around floor game but is more efficient and more steady with his low-post game. San Antonio's supporting cast - featuring defensive specialist Bruce Bowen, rookie sensation Ginobili and gritty Malik Rose - is more talented than Minnesota's and more athletic than past Spurs teams.

``We have to go up against another dominant forward, and he's probably going to get his numbers,'' O'Neal said. ``We have to shut everybody else down.''

The Lakers believe they are prepared for this, having beaten the Spurs in two consecutive postseasons, 4-0 in 2001 and 4-1 in 2002.

``There's the edge that they know that they've been beaten,'' Phil Jackson said.

The Spurs are deriving their confidence from an upgraded roster and from a 4-0 sweep of the Lakers in the regular season.

``My wife beat me four times, too. I still married her,'' O'Neal said, laughing.

O'Neal missed the first two games against the Spurs and was in lousy shape for the third meeting - a performance so bad that O'Neal, embarrassed that 40-year-old Kevin Willis outhustled him, sat out three games to rest.

Kobe Bryant dismissed the significance of the Spurs' sweep after the fourth and final loss in late March, suggesting the Lakers could pay them back with a sweep in the playoffs.

Jackson recalled that remark with a light chuckle - ``That's a possibility,'' he said, with more amusement than conviction. Still, he seems unconvinced of the Spurs' greatness.

It was Jackson who noted the Spurs' ``vulnerability'' after the Phoenix Suns pushed them to six games in the first round. And it was Jackson who six weeks ago surveyed the Spurs' younger, more athletic lineup and concluded, ``They're different'' than last year's team, but added, ``I don't know if they're better or not.''

The Lakers, despite the loss of Fox, improved over the course of the first round, giving them hope they can wring another championship out of their aging three-peaters.

After allowing Minnesota to average 110 points and 50 percent shooting in the first three games, they held the Timberwolves to 90.7 points and 42 percent in the final three. After shooting .431 in the first three games, the Lakers shot .473 in the final three.

Bryant got his shooting touch back and has three days to rest his ailing right shoulder. O'Neal reclaimed a dominant role after emerging from an emotional funk surrounding his grandfather's death.

``I think we're right where we want to be,'' Shaw said. ``Big Fella's playing with a lot of energy, he's rebounding the ball well and just real active. We've seen him time and time again at this time of year respond the way he's responding right now. That's a good sign.''

LAKERS at SAN ANTONIO

Game 1

Monday at 6:30 p.m.

TV: TNT 

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(color) Lakers coach Phil Jackson seems unconvinced San Antonio is a better team than in past years.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press