STOPPED AT THE START WITHOUT SHAQ, FOX, LAKERS FALL IN OPENER SAN ANTONIO 87, LAKERS 82.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

Across the center scoreboard, the images flashed by, in rapid fashion, with moving familiarity - from Robert Horry's miracle 3-pointer to Kobe Bryant's slashing putback to the raucous party they hosted at 11th and Figueroa.

The highlights rolled for several minutes Tuesday evening, and a rapt Staples Center crowd roared once more as they watched Lakers win, again, the 2002 NBA championship.

But the look back in time was a reminder as much of what was missing as what was gained since those spring heroics and that June parade.

The new rings were passed around, and the new banner unveiled in the rafters - just below 2001, just right of 1988.

But it was a celebration without a voice, owing to the passing this summer of broadcaster Chick Hearn. And it was a Lakers team without its soul (Shaquille O'Neal) and its fire (Rick Fox) that sputtered in its season opener, falling 87-82 to the San Antonio Spurs.

So the Lakers took the first, shaky step toward the worst-case-scenario 0-7 start forecast by coach Phil Jackson.

It began as a joyous night.

``The loss kind of wrecked it,'' said O'Neal, who watched the ugliness from the bench.

O'Neal began his stay on the injured list. Fox began his six-game suspension for fighting.

Bryant tried his best to replace them both, which proved as difficult as it sounds. His energy was faultless, but his performance inconsistent, as he scored a team-high 27 points on 9-of-29 shooting.

The Lakers made only 31.8 percent of their field goals, gave up 46 free throws to the Spurs and a patchwork lineup generally made a mess of things. O'Neal's stand-ins - Soumaila Samake, Samaki Walker and Slava Medvedenko - combined for 15 fouls and 20 points.

``We know it's going to be hard,'' Bryant said. ``I think everybody knows that. We made it harder on ourselves just by not hitting shots. That's all. We played hard. Shots didn't fall for us. That's OK.''

Without O'Neal's inside presence, the Lakers lacked for easy baskets. And when they went inside, they were quickly turned away, as the Spurs blocked 11 shots. Bryant aimed to pass first, shoot second, but he found it difficult to balance the team's offense and his own.

``I thought that he looked to go one-on-one almost every time he got the ball,'' Jackson said. ``There's a couple times I thought he should have shot the ball in the second half, and he looked like he was looking to pass the ball, and I thought that caught his teammates by surprise.''

Bryant also picked up five assists, 10 rebounds and four steals in a 43-minute effort.

``I'm not coming out to shoot the ball,'' he said. ``I was put in situations tonight where the clock was low, I had to get up some shots. But this is no indication of the style that I'm going to be playing. That's way too many (shots), I shouldn't be shooting the ball that many times. I'm looking to get guys involved more in the game.''

Devean George, who started for Fox, scored 10 points, and Medvedenko added 11. But the Lakers otherwise were punchless, both literally and figuratively, without Fox and O'Neal.

That they stayed close to the Spurs throughout was more a product of San Antonio's own shooting woes. Duncan scored just 14 points on 3-of-14 shooting. Tony Parker, who scorched the Lakers at times in last year's playoffs, went 0 for 10 from the field.

Jackson started Samake, a raw newcomer, and hoped a center-by-committee could, at a minimum, make Duncan and David Robinson (13 points) work for their shots. Just keeping his big men on the court proved a bigger challenge.

Walker fouled out with 3:38 to play while guarding Duncan. Horry fouled out two minutes later, also against Duncan.

The Lakers went ahead 66-65 early in the fourth on a 3-pointer from Horry, but the Spurs scored seven points in a row and held the lead for the duration.

So the Lakers pocketed their rings and moved on, boarding a late charter to Portland, where they play tonight.

``We'll get better,'' Jackson said.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Kobe Bryant watched the Lakers' latest championship banner raised Tuesday at Staples Center.

Photos by Evan Yee and Andy Holzman/Staff Photographers

(3 -- color) no caption (closeup of the Lakers' championship ring)

(4) The Lakers' Robert Horry, right, and San Antonio's Bruce Bowen battle for a loose ball Tuesday.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Box:

GAME RECAP