Bowen Is Focused on Own Effort

Kobe Bryant, frustrated?

A day after San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich glowered at a reporter who insinuated he was out-coaching Phil Jackson, the Spurs spent Friday distancing themselves -- again -- from whatever tempests are brewing in Lakerland.

Bryant is averaging 23 points and shooting 39.5%, enough below his season averages that Bruce Bowen was a popular interview after Spur practice.

Bowen, who held Bryant to 36% shooting in the teams’ last three regular-season meetings, doesn’t know -- or care -- whether Bryant is frustrated after the first two games of the conference semifinals.

“I don’t look at that,” Bowen said. “If he is, he is. If he’s not, he’s not. I don’t think he is. There’s so much stuff going on their team right now as far as them trying to get a victory. That’s none of my worries and concerns right now. I know he’s going to come out and play hard in Game 3.”

Bowen’s physical play has been known to rankle opponents: Seattle guard Ray Allen, after struggling in a Feb. 5 game against the Spurs, said Bowen played “sissy basketball.” Some players say Bowen is over-aggressive, a smaller, much slighter Karl Malone. Others say he simply plays hard.

Regardless, Bowen was selected for the first time to the NBA’s all-defensive team this season.

“Without him, we’re not here,” guard Manu Ginobili said. “We know that. He’s been guarding every scorer on every single team the whole season. We know that even if they’re going to score, they’re going to take more shots to get those points.

“It’s really important to know that their best player is taken care of.”

Bowen, who played at Cal State Fullerton from 1990 to ‘93, bounced around before finding a home in San Antonio. He played two seasons in France and two seasons in the Continental Basketball Assn. with the Ft. Wayne Fury and the Rockford Lightning. He managed to wedge in a game with the Miami Heat during the 1996-97 season, logging one minute before again finding himself without a team.

He hooked up with the Boston Celtics for two uneventful seasons, then went to Philadelphia, then back to Miami before signing with the Spurs in July 2001.

Bowen’s career averages -- 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds -- won’t win any awards, but the Spurs have embraced his defensive influence.

“Bruce sets the tone for us defensively,” Popovich said. “He enjoys it. He lives for it. He’s good at it. Everybody follows his lead in that regard.”

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Hedo Turkoglu said he felt better Friday after being slowed by a respiratory infection. Turkoglu, scoreless in Game 1, had little effect in the series until making a three-point basket in the fourth quarter of Game 2 that halted a run by the Lakers.... Tony Parker has outscored Gary Payton, 50-11, and has 14 assists to Payton’s five through two games.