LAKERS LOSE FACEOFF; BIZARRE FINISH PUTS SPURS AHEAD 2-0; SHAQ HELD IN CHECK : SAN ANTONIO 79, LAKERS 76.

Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer

Somewhere between their airport hotel and the Alamodome, the Lakers team bus took a wrong turn Wednesday and ended up in the Bizarro World.

How else to explain Shaquille O'Neal, the 16-point scoring decoy?

Or the two missed free throws by Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' best foul shooter?

Or the inbounds pass that somehow skipped off Derek Fisher's forehead?

It all happened, and all that was missing was the soundtrack from ``The X-Files'' as the Lakers watched a near-win turn into a second straight victory for the San Antonio Spurs.

The 79-76 defeat left the Lakers down 0-2 in the best-of-seven conference semifinal series as they return home. And dazed by the experience.

``The ball takes weird bounces for you sometimes,'' said 16-year veteran Derek Harper.

Never more so than in the final minute of Wednesday's game.

The Spurs were up by two when Bryant hit a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 76-75 lead with 34.2 seconds left. When Sean Elliott airballed a 3-pointer at the other end, the Lakers seemed on the verge of an upset.

Then came the unlikely miscues:

Bryant, a 91-percent foul shooter in this postseason, missed two free throws with 18.9 seconds left, squandering the chance to extend the lead to three.

With a foul to give, the Lakers failed to hit Tim Duncan, who hit a turnaround 9-footer with 8.9 seconds left for a 77-76 Spurs lead.

And then, the most bizarre play of all. With 8.4 seconds on the clock, Bryant inbounded the ball to Fisher in the frontcourt. But the hard pass sailed through Fisher's hands and off his face, then into the hands of the Spurs' Avery Johnson.

Elliott hit two free throws to make it a three-point game, and Bryant missed a desperation 30-foot shot at the buzzer.

Strange days, indeed.

Especially for Bryant, the Lakers' best clutch player.

``Strange stuff happened,'' he said. And the missed free throws with the game on the line? ``The last time that happened, I think I was in eighth grade.''

But the game was unorthodox from the start.

With Shaquille O'Neal again struggling under the weight of the Spurs' swarming defense, the Lakers made O'Neal bait for extra defenders, letting him set up plays for Bryant (game-high 28 points) and Glen Rice (16 points).

And the Lakers found a new answer to the multitalented Duncan. They threw 6-foot-7 Rick Fox at the 7-footer. It worked just well enough, as Duncan missed 11 of 19 shots and settled for 21 points. It's just those two last ones that hurt.

``We beat ourselves. A lot of mistakes at the end,'' O'Neal said after scoring a postseason-low 16 points.

The worst was the inbounds pass from Bryant to Fisher. The play was supposed to go elsewhere, and eventually back to Bryant for a drive to the hoop. But Fisher was the first to break free.

``Basically, the play just broke down,'' Bryant said.

Fisher wasn't sure what happened.

``I popped up to catch it. I don't know if he (Johnson) hit my arm or I just took my eye off the ball. The ball bounced off my face,'' he said. ``I take full responsibility for that.''

O'Neal started the fourth quarter on the bench as the Lakers opened with a 10-2 run and took their biggest lead of the night, 69-63. But the Spurs answered quickly, scoring eight straight points, capped by a David Robinson jam, to retake the lead.

Then, more weirdness. Down 73-71, O'Neal scored an apparent basket with 1:37 left but was called for an offensive foul. Duncan was called for an offensive foul at the other end in an apparent make-up call. Then O'Neal got a break in his favor, putting down a Fox miss and avoiding a goaltending call to tie the game.

But it was another long night for O'Neal, who picked up two fouls in the first quarter and scored just two points in the first half. Still, the Lakers were within millimeters of a win.

``We had our chances again, is all I can say,'' Harper said.

The best chance: a pair of free throws from Bryant. After all the games he's won in the fourth quarter this year, the misses were the most shocking thing of all.

``Kobe is clutch, man. He's a clutch guy,'' Harper said. ``It's a credit to him that guys are shocked when he misses, and I think everybody was surprised. I called them good right off the bat. I was happy that it was him going to the line, because I've seen him step up and knock them down. Unfortunately, he couldn't this time.''

SCHEDULE

Second Round

Spurs lead series 2-0

Game 1: Spurs 87, Lakers 81

Game 2: Spurs 79, Lakers 76

Game 3: Saturday at Lakers, 2:30 p.m., Ch. 4

Game 4: Sunday at Lakers, 2:30 p.m., Ch. 4

Game 5: Tuesday at Spurs, TBA (x)

Game 6: May 27 at Lakers, TBA (x)

Game 7: May 29 at Spurs, TBA (x)

(x) if necessary

GAME 2: A CLOSER LOOK

RATING THE LAKERS

OFFENSE: Fair

Slightly improved from Game 1, though still misfiring. The Lakers shot 42 percent and committed 19 turnovers, five in the fourth quarter. Their assist total of 11 showed the offense is still stagnating under the Spurs' constant pressure.

DEFENSE: Fair

Rick Fox played most of the game against Tim Duncan and helped hold him to 8-of-19 shooting, as the Lakers held the Spurs to 43.5 percent and forced 17 turnovers. But no one fouled Duncan on his winning basket with a foul to give.

BENCH PLAY: Fair

Much-improved from Game 1, still insufficient. Fox's defense was key, and he scored six points and set up several baskets with his passing. But the bench (10 points total) was outscored by Malik Rose alone (13 points).

HERO

Tim Duncan

Again. For the second straight game, Duncan delivered. He was held to 21 points and missed 11 of 19 shots, but with the Spurs down a point, and 8.9 seconds left, he hit a 9-foot turnaround jumper to win the game.

GOAT

Kobe Bryant

Though he was within seconds of being hero of the game. Bryant scored 28 points, but missed two free throws with 18.9 seconds left, letting the Spurs retake the lead. On the next possession, Bryant's inbounds pass bounced off Derek Fisher's face for a game-clinching turnover.

GOING AGAINST HISTORY

Since moving to Los Angeles, the Lakers are 1-10 in best-of-seven playoff series after losing the first two games.

Year Opp. W/L Result

1965 Boston L 4-1

1969 San Francisco W 4-2

1971 Milwaukee L 4-1

1973 N.Y. Knicks L 4-1

1974 Milwaukee L 4-1

1977 Portland L 4-0

1979 Seattle L 4-1

1983 Philadelphia L 4-0

1989 Detroit L 4-0

1995 San Antonio L 4-2

1997 Utah L 4-1

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, 2 Boxes

PHOTO (1--Color) The Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal grabs a rebound here, but he was not a big supplier of points.

(2) L.A.'s Kobe Bryant gets rebound despite being sandwiched in the first quarter.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

BOX: (1) GAME 2: A CLOSER LOOK (see text)

(2) GOING AGAINST HISTORY (see text)