Spurs hope to place Game 1 in the past

? One game, that’s all it was. And it’s on to Game 2.

That was the San Antonio Spurs’ attitude Thursday in the wake of their blown opportunity in the opener of the Western Conference finals.

“They’re up, 1-0. The important thing for us is to not let the game linger,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said at the team’s hotel in suburban Santa Monica some 141â2 hours after the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 20-point deficit for an 89-85 triumph over the Spurs.

Game 2 will be played tonight at Staples Center, where the Lakers haven’t lost since March 28. The best-of-seven series then shifts to San Antonio for the third and fourth games.

“It’s huge, obviously,” San Antonio point guard Tony Parker said. “We don’t want to go down, 0-2, because it’s very difficult to come back. But we did come back.”

Entering the conference finals, only 14 of the 222 teams to fall behind, 2-0, in best-of-seven NBA playoff series have won, including the Spurs in their second-round matchup with New Orleans.

“We’re down one game, that’s all,” said Tim Duncan, who had 30 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots in a losing cause.

“Our goal is to get to four (wins). A lot of credit goes to them.”