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Duncan, huge third help Spurs rally past Lakers

Jan 24, 2008 - 6:09 AM By Brian Guerra PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- A wild third quarter gave the San Antonio Spurs a 103-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night at the AT&T Center.

With less than seven seconds left in the third, Brent Barry hit a 3-pointer, stole the inbounds pass and hit another 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining that gave the Spurs a 76-66 lead.

He then turned to the crowd, pointed his fingers to the sky and screamed. The Lakers, who were outscored, 31-12, in the period, had no answer.

"Just to get the crowd fired up and have that kind of run and get some emotion back in this team and this building, we need those sorts of things. We need to play like that all the time," Barry said. "I was really having some fun."

Spurs center Tim Duncan said a lot of players stepped up in the second half.

"Brent was great. It's great having him on the floor. He's a leader," said Duncan, who finished with 28 points and 17 rebounds. "He moves the ball very well, he is really helps spread the floor for us."

But Barry, who finished with 11 points, was not the only third-quarter hero for San Antonio.

Reserve Ime Udoka scored seven of his season-high 18 points in a pivotal stretch.

Duncan had 10 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter, and Manu Ginobili sparked the Spurs with a career-high eight steals.

Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles with 29 points and 12 rebounds but appeared to be a one-man show as none of his teammates had more than Ronny Turiaf's 14 points.

The Lakers led 54-45 at halftime, but the Spurs' defense bullied Los Angeles to open the second half, and Michael Finley hit a 20-footer that gave the San Antonio a 55-54 lead with 6:38 left in the third.

"(Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) didn't say much at halftime," Udoka said. "He didn't come in here screaming and yelling, but he did mention moving the ball, and I think we did a great job of that in the second half. And it showed on the scoreboard."

More than six minutes elapsed before the Lakers scored their first points of the half, and they finished with only 12 in the quarter.

Derek Fisher hit a timely 3-pointer with 3:33 left in the third that gave the Lakers a 64-61 lead, but they scored only two more points the rest of the quarter.

"The Spurs stepped up the pressure during the third quarter, and we were unable to handle it," said Bryant, who committed nine turnovers. "Tonight is a lesson in how quickly momentum can change during a game."

Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 6:22 left in the game that cut the lead to 85-79 but, after a timeout, the Spurs went to Duncan for an easy layup.

Bryant tried to make things interesting but missed a 3-pointer that could have made the Spurs nervous.

Ginobili, who scored 12 points, responded by nailing a 3-pointer with 3:47 left in the game that gave San Antonio a 97-84 lead, and they cruised the rest of the way.