LOS ANGELES — The San Antonio Spurs knew the Los Angeles Lakers weren't unbeatable, and they proved it Tuesday night. Tim Duncan had 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots as the Spurs evened their Western Conference semifinal series with the Lakers by beating the two-time defending NBA champions 88-85.

        The Lakers, who haven't played nearly to the championship form of last spring, had won 20 of their previous 21 postseason games and their last 18 home games.

        “They're only immortal to you guys,” Duncan told reporters.

        The best-of-seven series shifts to San Antonio for Game 3 Friday night and Game 4 Sunday afternoon.

        “It's huge for us, we really needed this one,” Duncan said. “It was a semi-must win. We wanted to come in here and take one, we're right where we want to be.

        “We gave away the last one. We almost gave away this one, too.”

        The Spurs led by as many as 21 points, and held an 85-74 lead when Duncan made a free throw with 6:23 remaining. They would score only four points after that.

        Duncan also had 10 turnovers, the final one with 8 1/2 seconds left when Shaquille O'Neal poked the ball away with the Spurs leading by two points.

        The Lakers hurried down the court, but Kobe Bryant was called for traveling with 1.3 seconds to play.

        “I lost control of the ball,” he said. “I tried to tip it back to (Derek) Fisher. It was an obvious violation.”

        Duncan then made a free throw to complete the scoring.

        Duncan, who shot 9-for-30 in the opener, was 10-of-19 in this game.

        “There weren't any better looks, the ball just went down for me,” said Duncan, who will officially receive the NBA's MVP award at a news conference Thursday in San Antonio. “I've got to take care of the ball a little better.”

        The Spurs are trying to avenge a humiliating sweep by the Lakers in the 2001 conference finals, when they were outscored by 89 points in four games.

        “They had a long streak of beating us, they had our number,” San Antonio's Malik Rose said. “We didn't believe they had any psychological hold over us, and we damn well aren't afraid of them.”

        San Antonio again played without David Robinson, who missed his sixth straight playoff game with a nerve problem in his lower back from a herniated disc that affects his right leg.

        Antonio Daniels added 14 points, Bruce Bowen scored a career playoff high 13 and Rose had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs.

        Bryant led the Lakers with 26 points, all but six in the second half, and said the bruised knee he sustained in the 86-80 Game 1 victory wasn't a problem.

        But he did say O'Neal, who had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists, was bothered by the cut on his right finger that required three stitches in the opener.

        O'Neal left without speaking to reporters.

        Duncan made a three-point play one minute into the fourth quarter, giving the Spurs a 76-65 lead, and a basket with 8:46 left, making it 82-69.

        It was 85-74 when the Spurs suddenly went stone cold.

        While they were missing and turning over the ball, the Lakers were chipping away. Two baskets by Bryant, another pair by O'Neal and two free throws by Fisher moved the Lakers within one point with 1:31 remaining.

        Duncan then found Rose alone under the basket to end a San Antonio scoring drought of more than five minutes. The Lakers' last point came on a free throw by Fisher with 28.6 seconds left.

        The Spurs led 56-35 late in the second quarter before the Lakers went on a 20-3 run. The Spurs responded with an 11-0 spurt to extend their lead back to 16 before the Lakers scored the last eight of the third period, making it 73-65.

        “They played well under the duress of the charge we made in the third quarter,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

        Bryant said he looked forward to the challenge his team faces.

        “We've been through these situations before,” he said. “The level that we played at last year was an historical run, when we went 15-1 in the playoffs. For us to put expectations on ourselves to repeat that is kind of unfair.

        “This is where the fun begins, it's competitive basketball. We have to go to San Antonio and play well in Game 3. I, for one, look forward to that.”

        Notes: Duncan, who missed his first 10 shots in Game 1, made his first official attempt five minutes into this game, but was fouled in the act of shooting three times before that, making 3-of-6 free throws. ... With Robinson sidelined, Rose has made the most of his extended minutes, averaging 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in San Antonio's first six postseason games. Previously, he averaged 3.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 41 playoff games. ... It's unknown when Robinson will return, although Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he's hopeful the veteran center will play in Game 3.

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