NBA PLAYOFFS Spurs lead 2-0 after defeating Lakers 114-95

Los Angeles hadn't lost the first two games in 13 previous series.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO -- Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers are going home in an unfamiliar position -- thoroughly embarrassed and down 2-0 to the San Antonio Spurs.
"We're in a dangerous spot," O'Neal said Wednesday night after the Lakers' 114-95 loss in Game 2. "But this team can bounce back. We now have to take care of business in Los Angeles."
The three-time defending champions hadn't lost the first two games in any of their 13 postseason series since San Antonio swept them in 1999.
San Antonio knows the series, which resumes Friday night in Los Angeles, is far from over despite the Game 2 trouncing, in which the Spurs led by as many as 33 points in the second half.
"We have to go [into Game 3] with the same energy," Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. "We did our part keeping home court. We have to focus on the first game and really put the pressure on their shoulders."
Bruce Bowen, whose main mission in the series is to defend Kobe Bryant, led the Spurs in scoring with a career playoff-high 27 points. He was 7-of-8 from 3-point range and 10-for-12 overall.
At the other end, Bowen harassed Bryant into a subpar shooting performance.
"It's the best game I've had as an NBA player," said Bowen, who averaged 5.6 points in seven playoff games this year. "My main focus was defense tonight -- Kobe, being who he is, was going to come out aggressive tonight and try to take over the game."
Lopsided most of the way
The game became lopsided early and stayed that way, with Bryant and O'Neal watching most of the fourth quarter from the bench. O'Neal and Bryant each scored 27 points, but Bryant was 9-of-24 from the field.
O'Neal had four fouls, three of them offensive, which prompted Lakers coach Phil Jackson to criticize the referees, as he did after San Antonio's narrow victory in Game 1.
"What he's doing he's done his whole career," Jackson said of O'Neal's physical play on offense. "They're taking away his game."
But Jackson added that it's up to his 350-pound center to adapt. "He has to adjust his game if he wants to stay on the floor."
San Antonio built a 13-point lead in the first period and kept extending it. The Spurs led by 17 at the half, went ahead by 33 in the third quarter and led by 27 entering the fourth.
O'Neal had an easier time on offense than he did in Game 1, making 10 of his 14 shots. But Los Angeles -- playing without injured small forwards Rick Fox and Devean George -- got little offense from anyone else other than Bryant.
"Everyone really got into the continuity of the game," said San Antonio's David Robinson. "We did a great job tonight of penetrating and finding seams."
Manu Ginobili finished with 17 points, Tony Parker had 16 and Speedy Claxton 15. Duncan had 12 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes.
Nets 104, Celtics 95
At East Rutherford, N.J., Richard Jefferson scored 25 points as New Jersey held off Boston to take a 2-0 series lead.
Jason Kidd added 23 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Kenyon Martin had 14 points and 10 rebounds and again dominated his matchup with Boston's Antoine Walker. Walker had just seven points on 3-for-15 shooting. Paul Pierce, who turned his ankle late in the game, led Boston with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Tony Delk added 19 points.