RETURN NOT ENGAGING NEW LOOK FAILS TO SPUR LAKERS PAST SAN ANTONIO.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO - Through a fog of errant passes and tortured glances and no-not-again gasps, the Lakers wove themselves an afternoon of pure exasperation Sunday and discovered that the San Antonio Spurs might just be a smart decision, or two, or 10, better than them.

So not much has changed since these teams parted company last May.

Karl Malone and Gary Payton were not difference-makers to start this conference semifinal series, nor were the Lakers' old standbys any more effective than last spring and the Spurs administered a familiar-looking 88-78 thumping at SBC Center.

Kobe Bryant pushed the Lakers into late contention, then joined his teammates for a 10-turnover fourth-quarter calamity that led to a predictable collapse. They led by five points early in the fourth period, and nine minutes later trailed by 12, after Tony Parker picked Payton to end the torrent of turnovers.

``By and large,'' coach Phil Jackson said, ``we were the victim of our own inability to execute.''

That, of course, was the Lakers' affliction all season, and though they were still talented enough to win 56 games and take a first-round series from Houston, they might not have enough to beat the Spurs without rapid improvement.

Bryant led the Lakers in points (31) and turnovers (four), sharing the latter honor with Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers got a sturdy 19-point, 13-rebound, five-block effort from O'Neal, but were overeager to get him the ball down the stretch.

Forced passes in the paint accounted for probably half of their 22 turnovers.

Every time they looked up, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker was dashing to a fast-break score. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting. Parker added 20 points and Ginobili 11, and it was evident how the Spurs had won 15 consecutive games.

``They make you pay for your mistakes. So, absolutely,'' Malone said. ``Now it's 16. They did everything they're supposed to do to win this ballgame. They're the world champions, and everybody's trying to match their intensity. We didn't do it, I didn't do it. So, get ready for Wednesday.''

The Lakers left immediately after the game and will spend the next two days in L.A. to prepare for Game 2, also at SBC Center.

After a difficult first half (3 for 9), Bryant sparked the Lakers with a 12-point burst in the third quarter, giving them a 65-58 lead. The Lakers scored 32 points in the period - one fewer than they did in a dismal first half - and for a few minutes, they were in it.

Then the Lakers began their string of 10 turnovers - three of them by Bryant's hand - the Spurs pounced turning the miscues into a 19-2 run that put the game away.

``We tried to force it inside a little too much and didn't honor their defense,'' Bryant said.

In the midst of it all, Bryant tangled with Rasho Nesterovic and earned a technical foul for jawing at him.

``I basically told him to calm down. I didn't think it was that big of a deal,'' Bryant said.

Anger was contagious. O'Neal hollered at every available referee. And, in a curious exchange in the first half, Jackson bellowed at Duncan - apparently telling him to stop whining - and Duncan gazed back with a bemused expression, then turned to Derek Fisher and asked, ``What's he talking to me for?''

Jackson's message?

``Nothing important,'' Duncan said.

``I don't know why he was yelling at me,'' Jackson said. ``I never did figure that out.''

It had appeared that Jackson was the first one yelling, though he said, coyly, ``No, I wasn't.''

The Lakers went without a field goal for six minutes, 41 seconds from the first to the second quarter as they suffered an early 10-point deficit. Payton and Malone combined to go 2 for 14 in the first half, and neither ever got rolling. Malone finished 3 for 10, Payton 1 for 8 - and complaining again that he needs the freedom on offense to go back at Parker.

Meanwhile, O'Neal shot each free throw from a different spot behind the foul line and, not surprisingly, missed 10 of 13 attempts.

It was Jackson who had theorized that the Lakers needed to put doubt on the Spurs' heads. Yet there was no sign of it as San Antonio took its 16th consecutive victory, and coach Gregg Popovich scoffed at the concept.

``I don't want to be a wise guy, but we never think about, 'Are we confident, are we not; did this happen, did that happen; what will this be if you win this one or lose that.' It'll drive you crazy to think about that stuff,'' Popovich said. ``Go play the game, try to execute what you practice and only two things can happen: You win or you lose. But spending time on all that other junk is a waste of effort, and we just don't do it.''

Howard Beck, [phone]

howard.beck(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) SAME THING THIS YEAR

Lakers take a familiar beating at hands of the San Antonio Spurs after going scoreless for six minutes and commuting 10 turnovers in fourth quarter of Game 1

Associated Press

(2 -- color) San Antonio's Tim Duncan was 13 of 18 from the field for a game-high 30 points as the Spurs won Game 1 of their series with the Lakers. It was San Antonio's 16th victory in a row.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Box:

LAKERS vs. SAN ANTONIO: Spurs lead best-of-seven series 1-0