San Antonio sends Lakers to a teary-eyed end, 110-82

May 16, 2003<br>
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FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES<br>
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LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant left the court in tears as the three-year championship reign of the Los Angeles Lakers came to a decisive end. <br>
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"I hate this feeling, I don't ever want to feel it again," Bryant said Thursday night after a 110-82 loss to the San Antonio Spursin Game 6. <br>
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The Spurs advanced to the Western Conference finals to face Dallas or Sacramento. The series begins Monday night. <br>
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The Spurs had been ousted by the Lakers in each of the past two seasons. <br>
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"We've been put down by these guys the last couple of years," Tim Duncan said after getting 37 points and 16 rebounds to lead the wipeout. "More than ending their reign, that felt a lot better -- ending their season and going on." <br>
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Tony Parker added 27 points for the Spurs, who scored 44 of the game's final 62 points. <br>
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The Lakers were the league's best in 2000, '01 and '02 -- but they won't join the Boston Celtics as the only NBA teams to win more than three straight championships. The Celtics won eight straight from 1959-66. <br>
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The Lakers had won 13 straight playoff series under coach Phil Jackson, and were 4-0 under Jackson when facing elimination. <br>
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"They left no doubt about the fact that they were the better team in this series," said Jackson, who underwent an angioplasty to unblock an artery Saturday. "We're severely disappointed we couldn't make a run for the championship. <br>
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"We've had a great run, we've had great play. We've gotten a little bit older, we had some injuries, we had a tough year." <br>
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Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers with 31 points and 10 rebounds. <br>
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"It's very, very disappointing," O'Neal said. "We've been celebrating the last three years, and we would have liked to have gotten it this year. But it's been an unusual year. It was kind of a different team and a different feel out there. <br>
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"We had an unbelievable run. Ever since Phil came, we've been enjoying nothing but success, and this is the first time we're not feeling success." <br>
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Bryant added 20 points and didn't take the loss well. Derek Fisher also left the court in tears. <br>
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"It's just tough to lose, man. We haven't experienced this feeling in three years. They executed extremely well. That's an excellent ballclub over there," Bryant said. <br>
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Sacramento 115, Dallas 109: Doug Christie had 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal to help the host Kings even their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series at 3. Game 7 is Saturday night in Dallas. Nick Van Exel scored 35 points, and Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas, while Michael Finley had 21 points, seven boards and four assists. Peja Stojakovic had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings. Sacramento converted 31 of 32 free throws, including 31 straight. The Kings' Bobby Jackson scored 21 and Jim Jackson 16. <br>
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Notebook: Chris Kaman has signed with an agent, meaning the 7-footer can't return to Central Michigan for his senior season. Joe Fairbairn, Kaman's cousin and adviser, said that Kaman agreed last week to be represented by former Michigan basketball player Rob Pelinka. Kaman was the Mid-American Conference player of the year and defensive player of the year last season as a junior. He earned honorable mention on the Associated Press' All-America team. . . . Atlanta Hawks forward Glenn Robinson was found guilty on domestic battery and assault charges for shoving his former fiancee in her house last July. He was found not guilty on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. Cook County (Ill.) Circuit Court Judge Christopher Donnelly sentenced Robinson to one year conditional discharge, which is a form of probation. Robinson also was sentenced to undergo anger management counseling and complete five days of a work program run by the sheriff's office.<br>
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