SACRAMENTO VS. LAKERS/ GAME 1 REPORT

FIRST QUARTER: LAKERS 36 SACRAMENTO 22

Highlight reel: Welcome to the Cowbell Palace. Have fun storming the castle. It’s been said before and it should be noted again: Great fans don’t win games, great players do. The Lakers rose to the challenge with their best opening quarter of the playoffs. They went to the basket with a sense of purpose not seen since they were dispatching the overmatched Philadelphia 76ers in last season’s final. Kobe Bryant soared above the crowd to deliver a thunderous dunk seconds before the end of the quarter. His windmill effort gave the Lakers a 14-point lead.

Not in the box score: Someone in this league who is capable of slowing Bryant. Portland’s Ruben Patterson failed. San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen failed. Now it’s Doug Christie’s turn to get torched. That could change, of course. But the Kings must show a greater desire to defend Bryant than they did in the opening quarter of this series.

Winning numbers: Nine of 10, the Lakers’ shooting to start the game.

Wrong numbers: For the Kings, it’s the Lakers’ 16-for-24 shooting by quarter’s end.

Leading scorers: Lakers--Bryant 10, Robert Horry 8; Kings--Mike Bibby and Chris Webber 8.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--Bryant and Horry 8; Kings--Webber, Doug Christie and Vlade Divac 3.

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SECOND QUARTER: LAKERS 58 SACRAMENTO 45

Highlight reel: The Lakers seemed to be moving in slow motion, picking apart the Kings slowly but certainly. The Kings, led by energetic guard Bobby Jackson, made runs at the Lakers, but they failed to trim their deficit to fewer than nine. Bryant’s fallaway and Shaquille O’Neal’s drive to the hoop in the final two minutes helped extend the Laker lead to 13 by halftime. It looked easy. The Lakers were calm, cool and collected. The Kings were out of sync, perhaps too emotional after a week of hearing the relentless drumbeat of “Beat L.A!” in Sacramento. After two quarters, it appeared as if the Kings forgot they actually have to play exceptionally well to “Beat L.A!”

Not in the box score: Much of anything from O’Neal. He had three points and one rebound in nine minutes, but he appeared to be moving considerably better on his injured ankles and sore right big toe than in the Lakers’ five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals.

Winning number: Nine points, the smallest Laker lead.

Wrong number: Fourteen, the points the Kings scored in the paint.

Leading scorers: Lakers--Bryant 6, Devean George 5; Kings--Bobby Jackson 9, Webber 6.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--Horry and Derek Fisher 3; Kings--Webber 7, Divac 3.

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THIRD QUARTER: LAKERS 82 SACRAMENTO 69

Highlight reel: O’Neal made a jumper. O’Neal made a free throw. O’Neal made a turnaround jumper. Uh-oh, the big guy is into the game at long last, scoring at will early in the second half. The Kings had no answer. Who does? The Kings crawled within seven points several times, but the Lakers closed with an 8-2 run and their lead was back to 13 by the end of the quarter. O’Neal dunked a Bryant miss and blocked Hedo Turkoglu’s shot at the other end to highlight the closing minutes of the third. George’s garbage basket completed the Lakers’ late surge.

Not in the box score: A rival to thwart O’Neal. Divac is a clever player with the ball, but hopelessly overmatched when it comes to trying to defend O’Neal. San Antonio’s David Robinson did about as credible job on O’Neal as you’re likely to see in the postseason. Divac is at O’Neal’s mercy.

Winning numbers: Fourteen points on six-for-11 shooting, four rebounds and two blocked shots, O’Neal’s line.

Wrong number: Thirteen, the Kings’ deficit.

Leading scorers: Lakers--O’Neal 14; Kings--Bibby and Christie 7.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--O’Neal 4, Rick Fox and George 2; Kings--Turkoglu 5, Scot Pollard 3.

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FOURTH QUARTER: LAKERS 106 SACRAMENTO 99

Highlight reel: The Kings cut their deficit to five points with plenty of time to play, but Bryant made two free throws for a 102-95 lead with 59.4 seconds remaining and O’Neal swatted Bibby’s long-range jumper into the crowd with 47.2 to play. Again, it’s not about whose fans shout the loudest or dress up like it is Halloween, but about big-time players making big-time plays. The King fans won the screaming contest, but the Lakers won Game 1. And if the King players and coaches don’t make some adjustments before Monday’s second game, this will be a quick stay for them in the conference finals.

Not in the box score: A game worth mentioning from Turkoglu, who was nothing short of brutal in attempting to fill in for injured swingman Peja Stojakovic. Turkoglu seemed to be pressing against Fox, trying to force the issue and making bad plays. He missed all eight shots he took and all seemed hurried.

Winning number: Three, the number of victories the Lakers need to reach their third consecutive final.

Wrong numbers: Zero, the number of points for Turkoglu in 29 minutes.

Leading scorers: Lakers--Bryant 10, Horry 5; Kings--Jackson 10, Webber 8.

Leading rebounders: Lakers--O’Neal 3, Samaki Walker 3; Kings--Divac 5, Webber 3.

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FIRST QUARTER

SECOND QUARTER

THIRD QUARTER

FOURTH QUARTER

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