By Mike Bresnahan
Los Angeles Times
March 6, 2011
Reporting from San Antonio -- It took the Lakers long enough -- endless months, weeks and days blending into halves, quarters and minutes -- but they finally arrived for the 2010-11 season.
It was worth a double-take, if not a triple, the 48 minutes that signaled their interest in the rest of the season, a rout heard 'round the NBA, all opponents be forewarned.
The Lakers didn't beat the San Antonio Spurs. They pummeled them, leading by as many as 32 points in a 99-83 victory Sunday in front of a stunningly quiet, and quickly emptying, AT&T Center.
Andrew Bynum seemed to grab every rebound, Pau Gasol simply couldn't miss (even drilling a three-pointer, his first since 2008), Ron Artest was a comedian who happened to score eight points, and Kobe Bryant quarterbacked the entire operation.
The Lakers were free on offense and grinding on defense, winning their seventh consecutive game and holding the Spurs to 36% shooting.
Tim Duncan was a total nonfactor, scoring two points on one-for-seven shooting, and only one Spurs starter scored in double figures, Tony Parker with 14 points.
The Lakers had landed. The Spurs, uh, noticed.
"We couldn't make layups, threes, free throws, anything. And besides, they played more angry," said a beleaguered Manu Ginobili, who had six points on three-for-10 shooting. "We were a little, not soft, but waited to see what was going to happen and they came to get it."
The timing can't be better for the Lakers (45-19), taking the first step on a four-game trip that also routes them through Atlanta, Miami and, of particular interest, Dallas, which is still ahead of them for second place in the Western Conference.
If they play like they did Sunday, 4-0 isn't out of the question.
The Spurs and their league-leading record (51-12) looked confused all afternoon. They trailed in the first quarter, 34-13, and at halftime, 65-37, numbers that would stun the rest of the league.
"We caught them by surprise at the start of the game," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.
There were many surprises.
The coaching staff told the players beforehand to return to the tenets of the triangle offense
