Spurs, down 2-0, have tough road

The Lakers, with two wins at home, exude confidence entering Game 3.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — All the Los Angeles Lakers have done is protect home court.

It’s how well they did it that has given the San Antonio Spurs reason to worry about protecting their own.

“We got to really step up, especially starting with me, and try to get those two games at home,” San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili said after his team’s Game 2 loss Friday. “It’s going to be really difficult because now they built confidence. They’re playing great, so it’s going to be even harder now. But we still believe.”

After the Lakers demonstrated their composure behind MVP Kobe Bryant to rally from a 20-point deficit for a narrow Game 1 victory, they routed the Spurs in Game 2. Holding San Antonio to 34.5 percent shooting, Los Angeles essentially had the win in hand before the last quarter.

Only two Spurs — Tim Duncan and Tony Parker — scored in double digits.

“I think the common denominator, bottom line, really isn’t about Xs and Os,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the 101-71 loss. “We have to have more people playing better.”

The Lakers outperformed the defending champions in just about every category. They shot nearly 55 percent from the field, boasted five players with double-digit scoring and outrebounded San Antonio 44-36.

Game 3 is today and Game 4 is Tuesday in San Antonio.

The Spurs are 6-0 at home this postseason, winning by an average of 10.5 points. They blew the first big opportunity they had to steal a game in Los Angeles, but have a chance to regroup and even the series at home.

“They’ll sleep in their own beds. They’ll be much more energized,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “They’re such an experienced team. Their coaching staff will make adjustments. You just can’t comprehend how much of a difference the home court makes in the playoffs to teams. That could be a whole different story for us tomorrow.”

The Lakers are 3-2 on the road in the playoffs. They swept the Denver Nuggets in the first round and eliminated the Jazz in six games, finishing with a win in Utah.