SAN ANTONIO ? Bruce Bowen called it the game of his career, and given his performance and what was at stake, it’s easy to see why.

Bowen, known mostly for his defensive skills, made seven three-pointers in eight attempts and harassed Kobe Bryant into a subpar outing as San Antonio trounced the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, 114-95, Wednesday night.

The win gave the Spurs a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series, which resumes Friday night at the Staples Center.

“My main focus was defense tonight,” said Bowen, who led his team with a career playoff-high 27 points on 10-for-12 shooting. “Kobe, being who he is, was going to come out aggressive tonight and try to take over the game.”

The game became lopsided early and stayed that way, with Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal watching most of the fourth quarter from the bench. They each finished with 27 points, with Bryant shooting 9-for-24 from the field.

O’Neal had four fouls, three of them offensive, which prompted Lakers coach Phil Jackson to once again criticize the referees.

“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.”

The Lakers, winners of 13 straight playoff series since being swept by the Spurs in 1999, have never found themselves down 2-0 during that span.

No team would be happier than the Spurs to be the ones to knock the Lakers out of the postseason. Los Angeles has defeated San Antonio in the playoffs the past two seasons, sweeping them in 2001 and defeating them 4-1 a year ago.

“We’re in a dangerous spot,” O’Neal acknowledged, but added, “There’s no time for panic. … We control our own destiny.”

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 that he did in Game 1, making 10 of his 14 shots for 27 points. But Los Angeles — playing without injured small forwards Rick Fox and Devean George — got little offense from anyone else other than Bryant.