Shaq attacked, Kobe bounced back and the Los Angeles Lakers got on track.
The Lakers responded like defending champions and evened the NBA Finals at one game each with a 98-89 victory over the feisty Philadelphia 76ers.
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant both had huge games for the Lakers, who were stunned in overtime in Game One but found a way to slow down Allen Iverson. They held the league Most Valuable Player to 23 points, 10 off his playoff average and less than half of his 48-point explosion in the opener.
O'Neal flirted with the first quadruple-double in Finals history with 28 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and a record-tying eight blocked shots. Working against Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo, he was a one-man wrecking crew in the last five minutes of the third quarter, when the Lakers grabbed control.
"Coach wanted to me to protect the basket more," said O'Neal, who tied a record shared by Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing. "We felt they were getting too many easy shots the first half. So I just tried to step up my defense in the second half."
"I thought Shaq was the dramatically better defensive player in this game," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.
After a poor performance in Game One, Bryant reminded everyone that he is a superstar, too. He scored 31 points and was extremely aggressive on the offensive end, giving Philadelphia's defense fits.
"I was so upset after Game One," Bryant said. "I didn't want to come out and try to do too much to start the game and take us out of the rhythm of our offense."
"Kobe obviously got a little more room today," Jackson said. "He got some rhythm in his shot and he played a much better game."
Derek Fisher, who was shut out in the opener, also bounced back nicely with 14 points, including a clutch 3-pointer down the stretch. The shot turned back a last-gasp rally by the 76ers, who threw another scare into the heavily favored Lakers.
Even with Iverson frustrated, Philadelphia cut a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to 89-86 with more than two minutes to go. But the 76ers stalled themselves by making a Shaq-like 6-of-16 free throws in the final period, including four misses each by Iverson and rookie Raja Bell.
In the waning seconds, Iverson and Bryant got into a heated shouting match and had to be separated by teammates and referees.
"In the heat of the battle, nothing's friendly," Bryant said.
"Ask him," Iverson said. "That's just basketball, man."
Bryant, Fisher and Tyronn Lue combined to do a credible job on Iverson, who made just 10-of-29 shots. He was hit in the face three times in the first half but did not go to the line until the fourth quarter. During the season, Iverson averaged 10 free throws per game.
"As much punishment as I take out there, things that I go through out there, I just can't remember the last time I only went to the free throw line (four times)," Iverson said.
"I would hope he'll get a little more respect," Sixers coach Larry Brown said.
Game Three is Sunday in Philadelphia, where the series shifts for the next three games. The Sixers are trying to win their first title since 1983.
O'Neal's overpowering third quarter gave the Lakers a 77-67 lead going into the final period. Iverson got a technical foul for arguing a non-call after shooting an airball on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Iverson's first free throws came at the 10:31 mark and he missed both. Bryant had a 3-pointer, lobbed to O'Neal for a dunk and made a pair at the line to give LA its largest lead at 86-73 with 7:10 left.
But O'Neal took a seat with his fifth foul 32 seconds later and the Sixers began their customary comeback. They pressured the ball, forced bad shots and attacked the basket, creeping within 89-86 with 2:24 to play.
"We ended up taking a game that was relatively benign and making it pretty exciting in the end," Jackson said. "We did it through no good clock management or ball management."
"They keep on coming. They play hard," Bryant said. "You have to respect that."
Los Angeles committed six fouls and five turnovers as Philadelphia fought back without a single point from Iverson, who missed two more from the line during the rally. Bell missed three early in the surge.
"The way we kept fighting back and coming back, I think we spent a lot of energy," Brown said. "Maybe that affected us a little when we went to the free-throw line late."
The Lakers dumped it in to O'Neal, who was double-teamed before finding Fisher, whose 3-pointer from the top opened a 92-86 lead with 2:08 to go.
"He's not only a great scorer on the post, he's a tremendous passer," said Brown, whose squad used more double-teams than in Game One. "That's what you get. You've got to take some poison."
"The reason why I kicked the ball out a lot (was) because they doubled," O'Neal said. "When teams double us, I look to get my other guys involved."
Eric Snow, who earlier took a charge from the 330-pound O'Neal, missed a jumper and Bryant zipped a pass to Ron Harper for a layup with 1:19 left. Iverson made a 3-pointer 16 seconds later but Philadelphia did not score again.
The Lakers shot 47 percent (38-of-81) from the field despite missing their first nine 3-pointers. O'Neal helped them to a 52-42 edge on the glass and got Bryant out in the open court for some easy baskets. Los Angeles had 13 blocks, a Finals record.
"That started our transition," Bryant said. "By him getting blocks, that enabled us guards to get out and run the floor and get easy opportunities."
Mutombo had 16 points and 13 boards for the Sixers, who shot just 39 percent (34-of-87). Aaron McKie scored 14 points, Todd MacCulloch had a playoff career-high 13 and Snow added 12.
In the last five minutes of the third quarter, O'Neal flashed all of the skills that make him the game's best player. He fed Robert Horry and Bryant for dunks around a pair of blocks, giving the Lakers the lead for good at 65-61.
After missing 5-of-6 from the line in the first half, O'Neal made 3-of-4. He added a dunk and smothered MacCulloch, leading to a runner by Bryant for a 72-65 lead. Fisher closed the quarter with a steal, dunk and 3-pointer off a pass from O'Neal.
"Shaq made some very nice passes off the post," Jackson said.
Bryant made 11-of-23 shots. As expected, he came out firing and scored 12 points in the first quarter. Iverson missed his first four shots and Philadelphia looked like it was in trouble as Mutombo and forward Tyrone Hill went to bench with their second fouls 19 seconds apart.
But MacCulloch and Matt Geiger came on and played solid, combining for 11 points over the next nine minutes. A layup by MacCulloch gave the Sixers a 40-33 lead with 6:36 left in the second quarter and Mutombo and Hill returned.
Mutombo backed off O'Neal, allowing him to take over down low. He scored 10 points over the next four minutes to give LA a 45-43 lead with 1:46 remaining.
In the first half, Iverson did not attempt a free throw and the Lakers did not make a 3-pointer, missing seven. Bryant scored 16 points, one more than his total for Game One.
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