THE SPURS OF THE MOMENT LAKERS' 11-GAME WIN STREAK ENDS IN LOSS TO CHAMPS SAN ANTONIO 95, LAKERS 89.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

Failure found the Lakers again Sunday afternoon, their three-week pursuit hastened by the familiar factors, among them undisciplined offense, poor pick-and-roll defense and the stoic, imposing presence of the San Antonio Spurs.

It's a spring thing.

Eleven months after they stopped the Lakers' string of championships, the Spurs reappeared at Staples Center to reminisce and remind everyone that the race back to the Finals is more than a one-team race, no matter what Reggie Evans says.

The defending champions altered that discussion with a 95-89 victory that ended the Lakers' winning streak at 11 games and reshuffled the Western Conference standings once more.

The Lakers (53-24) slipped a half-game behind both the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves and now hold just a one-game edge over the surging Spurs. The Lakers also lost whatever psychological edge they gained by beating the Spurs three times last fall.

``It was just one of those days for us,'' Shaquille O'Neal said. ``It happens like that sometimes. I'll take 11 out of 12 anytime.''

Five games remain in the regular season, and without a winning streak to mask their flaws, the Lakers finally must address the rough spots.

The Spurs picked them apart Sunday with simple, fundamental play, taking an 11-point lead in the first half, then putting the game away with a 19-6 run in the second half. The Lakers closed the gap to four points with 1:27 left, but couldn't make the critical plays down the stretch.

``I think we just get refocused again and come back,'' coach Phil Jackson said, looking ahead to games against Portland, Memphis and Sacramento.

``We're kind of excited about this week, we're kind of pointing towards it as an issue.''

Tony Parker (29 points) caused the Lakers' defense to unravel with his speed and a repetition of pick-and-roll plays, and the entire frontcourt tried to take the blame. Karl Malone faulted himself for not giving enough help to Gary Payton and Derek Fisher, and upon hearing that, O'Neal said, no, he was to blame.

Rick Fox chuckled, pointed to his own five-turnover, two-point performance, and declared, ``They can't have that today. It's my fault.''

Mostly, the Lakers flogged themselves over defensive lapses, a sensible enough explanation and one readily consumed in a dour postgame locker room. But the Lakers had outscored the Spurs 47-42 and held them to 39 percent shooting in the second half, and their public rationalizations left out the 32-20 drubbing they took in the second quarter.

In softer, more nuanced tones, players cited an offense that stopped functioning, and a lack of patience on the court, all of which made it hard to ignore Kobe Bryant's sometimes-wild 3-for-14 performance in the first half.

``It's simple. Pass the ball,'' one player said.

San Antonio closed out the first half with a 15-5 run, during which Bryant missed four 3-point attempts and coughed up the ball on a drive into traffic, the kind of sequences that leave teammates exasperated. Bryant settled down in the second half, making 6 of 12 shots to finish 9 for 26.

O'Neal scored 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Payton scored 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Malone finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Jackson had worried that Bruce Bowen's physical, attacking brand of defense would bait Bryant into one-on-one forays, but was cautious in his appraisal afterward.

``The nod went toward Bowen winning that battle, as far as being able to play the kind of defense he wanted to play against Kobe,'' he said. ``So we had to go to other things during the course of the rest of the game.''

For the game, the Lakers shot just 42.7 percent from the field, and though it was easy to credit the Spurs' famously tough defense, O'Neal said, ``I think it was more of us.''

Of the Lakers' 17 assists, 11 came in the second half, when the offense took a more predictable form - or as Jackson put it, ``(we) played more of a style of ball that's reminiscent of what we wanted to do.''

Fox said the Lakers' scrambled offense caused some of the confusion that led to his many errant passes and concluded, ``With a little more patience and execution, it may not have to be so hard on the offensive end. It should get easier baskets for everybody. But we know that.''

Howard Beck, [phone]

howard.beck(at)dailynews.com

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The Lakers' Kobe Bryant (8) shot 9 for 26 against the Spurs on Sunday in a matchup against tough defender Bruce Bowen (12).

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

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