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Shaq's Back and Lakers Rout Spurs 103-87

Posted on: Saturday, 29 November 2003, 06:00 CST

Shaq came back, but with little impact - at least from a statistical standpoint. The Los Angeles Lakers won big anyway, and over the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, no less.

Karl Malone recorded the fourth triple-double of his 19-year career despite sitting out the fourth quarter, and Devean George had a season-high 19 points Friday night as the Lakers routed the Spurs 103-87.

In his first triple-double since the spring of 1999, the 40-year-old Malone had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 26 minutes.

He left the game for good with 2:32 to play in the third quarter and the Lakers leading 78-48.

O'Neal, who sat out the previous two games because of a strained muscle in his right calf, had seven points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in 25 minutes.

He came out with 3:56 remaining in the third period.

O'Neal appeared rusty, didn't make a field goal until early in the third quarter and wound up shooting 2-of-6 from the floor and 3-of-9 from the foul line.

It hardly mattered.

The game was the first between the teams at Staples Center since May 15, when the Spurs won 110-82 in the sixth game of the Western Conference semifinals to eliminate the Lakers from the playoffs.

The Lakers had won the previous three NBA titles.

The win was the fifth straight and eighth in nine games for the Lakers (13-3) and extended their regular-season home winning streak to 24, including nine this season, to tie the Los Angeles franchise record.

The Lakers can eclipse the standard on Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers, whose 14-2 record is the NBA's best.

Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton each scored 17 points for the Lakers, who rested their starters in the fourth quarter for the second straight game.

It was 84-55 entering the final period. At that stage, the Lakers were shooting 56.9 percent and the Spurs 31.3 percent.

San Antonio outscored the Lakers 32-19 in the fourth quarter to narrow the final margin to 16 points.

Manu Ginobili scored 13 points for San Antonio (9-7), which lost for just the third time in nine games. Tony Parker added 12 points and Tim Duncan had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs.

All three watched from the bench throughout the final period.

Devin Brown added a career-high 10 points for the Spurs.

O'Neal got his first field goal on a dunk with 9:52 left in the third quarter, giving the Lakers a 53-38 lead.

It was 58-44 when George made a 3-pointer to trigger a 14-0 run that gave the Lakers a 28-point lead.

O'Neal scored only two points in 17 first-half minutes and Bryant had just eight points, but the Lakers led 47-34 at the intermission.

Derek Fisher made two jumpers to finish the first quarter to put the Lakers ahead 25-16.

Notes:@ The Pacers will bring an eight-game winning streak into Sunday night's game. With a 7-0 mark, they're the only NBA team with a perfect road record this season. ... San Antonio's Robert Horry, who played for the Lakers the past 6 1/2 seasons, was honored before the game. A key member of three championship teams in Los Angeles, he was presented with a framed version of the No. 5 gold jersey he wore and received a standing ovation from the Staples Center crowd of 18,997. ... Horry went scoreless in nine minutes. ... The Lakers beat the Spurs 120-117 in double overtime at the SBC Center on Nov. 6, but San Antonio played without Duncan and Parker, who were sidelined with sprained left ankles. Ginobili scored a career-high 33 points in that game. ... The Lakers and Spurs meet again Wednesday night in San Antonio. ... The Spurs, 2-5 on the road, play at Golden State on Saturday night before returning to Staples Center to face the Clippers on Monday night.

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