SPURS NOTEBOOK: SPURS BAFFLED BY FUNK, WONDERING WHAT TO DO.

Byline: Nick Piecoro Staff Writer

SANTA MONICA - A shell-shocked San Antonio Spurs team savored an off day Saturday, trying to figure out exactly what has happened to the team that carried the NBA's best record into the playoffs.

And, what they can do, if anything, to stop the Lakers today.

``You've got to give them most of the credit,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ``They're playing great basketball, they're playing together unselfishly and they're hotter than hell. And our poor shooting in large part is because of their great defense.''

Shooting remains the Spurs' biggest problem. Derek Anderson's return in Game 3 (0 for 8, including three 3-point attempts) did nothing, and the Spurs continued to collectively struggle. The Spurs shot 46.5 percent during the regular season, fourth best in the conference, but they are shooting only 37.8 percent (87 for 230) in this series.

Spurs center David Robinson, whose 24-point, 12-rebound Game 3 was his best performance of the series, believes it's more than just the bad shooting. Robinson remembers games during the regular season when the Spurs would struggle shooting, but still have chances to win.

``Even if we didn't shoot the ball well, we were right there,'' he said. ``That's what's more frustrating than anything. We've let ourselves down with the core of who we are.''

Spurs guard Terry Porter made 2 of 6 shots in 17 minutes Friday. He said most of his misses are coming on open looks.

``My shot attempts haven't been a situation where they've had a lot of defenders on me,'' he said. ``It's just been a situation of not making them.''

He's 6 for 21 in the series and knows no way of breaking out of a slump beside shooting.

``I've got to keep shooting,'' he said. ``That's what's helped our team get successful all year long. So does everybody else on the perimeter, not just me. That's the nature of the business. Unfortunately, you go through stretches where you shoot the ball well and don't shoot the ball well.''

--Free-agent talk: Anderson said he wants to return to the Spurs next season, only he's not sure it's going to happen.

He signed a one-year deal before this season for less than his value (he turned down a six-year, $48 million offer from Portland) and now wants a better deal.

Robinson also will be a free agent at the end of the year, and re-signing both he and Anderson would be very expensive.

``If they sign David for longer and more money and I can't get it, I'll understand that because I think he deserves his just due for what he's done. He's built San Antonio,'' Anderson said.