If the world thinks the Lakers look old when they lose, it ought to see them when they practice after a loss.

Down a game.

Down two small forwards.

The billboard downtown screaming, "Spurs 1, Lakers 0." The paper's headline reading, "There's One."

The Lakers were in the middle of it, Devean George sitting with one foot up and a basketball in his lap, Rick Fox 10 chairs away, also with a foot up. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were spaced on the floor of SBC Center on Tuesday afternoon so questions of doom wouldn't overlap too much, them stressing all was well one game into the Western Conference semifinals against San Antonio.

While outside it was so hot the drizzle turned to mist almost before it hit the pavement, inside the ever-in-peril Laker four-peat threatened to do the same. George is not expected to play tonight in Game 2. He left the arena on crutches Monday night, not long after the Spurs' 87-82 victory, and arrived the same way Tuesday morning.