Dominant Lakers expect stiff Spurs challenge in Game Five

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Poised to reach the NBA finals for the first time since 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers are taking nothing for granted as they prepare for Thursday's Game Five against the San Antonio Spurs.

Although the Lakers have won all seven playoff games at home this season and are riding a wave of momentum after their 93-91 road victory on Tuesday, they expect a stiff challenge from the wounded NBA champions.

"They certainly can't rely on home court," Lakers coach Phil Jackson told reporters after his team grabbed a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals. "They will have to go out and play a ball game.

"It is very important that we come out there (in Los Angeles) and play a similar type of game, with the kind of energy that we had, the kind of board and rebounding and ball possession. That will win the ball game for us."

Inspired by MVP Kobe Bryant who scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds, the top-seeded Lakers handed the Spurs their first home loss of the playoffs in San Antonio on Tuesday.

The Spurs never led in Game Four but could have snatched a last-gasp victory had Brent Barry made a three-pointer at the buzzer. Barry claimed he was fouled by Derek Fisher but there was no call.

"I was nervous, man I was nervous," Bryant said of the final play of the game with 2.1 seconds left on the clock. "I just kind of watched the flight of the ball. Once it hit the side of the backboard, I was extremely relieved."

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Overall, though, Bryant was delighted with his team's road win against older and much more experienced opponents.

"It is a big step for us," said the All Star guard, who helped the Lakers win three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-02.

"Game Three was an opportunity for us to learn in terms of how hard we need to play, the speed we need to play with.

"We came out and did a much, much better job to win in this building in this particular game. It's big for us."

Like Jackson, Bryant preferred to talk about Game Five at a sold-out Staples Center in Los Angeles with caution.

"Just focus on one game," he said. "We have been doing a good job of that all year, just focusing on one game. We're just preparing as much as we can, get ready for them."

For San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, Tuesday's home defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for a team who have clinched four NBA titles in the last nine years.

"Tough loss," he said. "I thought we fought back all night long. We did a good job of being persistent and not giving in at all. So I'm real proud of them for that. We just didn't quite get it done so now we have a lot of work ahead of us."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)