Los Angeles, CA (Best E Casino) - Kobe Bryant exploded for 25 of his 27 points in the second half, and the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 20-point third- quarter deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs, 89-85, in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

The MVP strapped the Lakers to his back with his 14-point fourth quarter, and his pull-up jumper with 23.9 seconds left broke an 85-85 tie. Manu Ginobili missed a three at the other end, and Sasha Vujacic's free throws with 7.3 seconds left sealed the win for the well-rested Lakers, who improved to 6-0 at home in the postseason.

Tim Duncan scored 30 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for the Spurs, who led 65-45 with less than six minutes left in the third quarter. San Antonio, perhaps feeling the exhaustion from a Game 7 win over the Hornets on Monday followed by a night spent in an airplane, couldn't seal the deal, though.

Tony Parker had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who were outscored 24-13 in the fourth quarter.

Pau Gasol scored 19 points and grabbed seven boards for the Lakers, who have won nine of 11 in the postseason.

Game 2 is set for Friday, back in the Staples Center.

The Lakers were coming off a six-game win over Utah that ended on Friday, while the Spurs needed to win a Game 7 in New Orleans on Monday to advance. If that weren't enough of a disadvantage, mechanical problems with the team plane and a convention in New Orleans that filled all the hotel rooms led to the defending champions spending Monday night and Tuesday morning in their plane.

San Antonio charged out of the gates in the third quarter, however, and looked ready to run away with a win. A 14-2 burst to start the half, capped by a Duncan hook shot with 5:54 left, boosted an eight-point halftime lead to 20, at 65-45, and Bryant had only scored four points.

The MVP finally started attacking the net, however, and scored nine points down the stretch in the quarter. Bryant scored seven on a 14-0 Lakers push, and threw an alley-oop pass that Gasol deposited to pull LA within 65-59 with 2:28 left.

Ginobili answered with a three, however, and San Antonio was able to maintain a 72-65 lead entering the final 12 minutes.

Bryant continued his dominance in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of LA's first 10 points, and his running jumper sliced the Spurs lead to 78-75 with 7:58 left. Bruce Bowen responded with a three, but that was the last field goal for San Antonio until the final minute, and the Lakers took advantage.

A Lamar Odom layup tied the game at 81-81 with 3:18 left, part of a 10-0 LA rush. Bryant gave the Lakers their first lead of the game with two free throws at the 2:42 mark, and he added a jumper to push the LA lead to 85-81.

Ginobili made two free throws, however, and Duncan tipped in his own miss with 41.7 seconds left to tie the game at 85-85. Bryant had one more answer, though. The Lakers guard shook Bowen loose and sank a jumper in the lane, staking LA to a two-point lead with 23.9 ticks to go.

The Spurs worked the ball around to Ginobili in the corner, but his three- point shot banged off the iron, and Sasha Vujacic won the mad scramble for the rebound and was fouled.

Ginobili finished with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting, and had four turnovers.

Vujacic sank two free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining, and the Lakers led by four. Michael Finley's fadeaway three was no good at the other end, and San Antonio's 20-point collapse was complete.

If Lakers head coach Phil Jackson's coaching history holds, then the Spurs are in trouble. Teams coached by Jackson are 40-0 in seven-game series' in which they win the opener.

The Spurs held a 27-24 lead after the first quarter.

The Lakers drew even early in the second quarter, with a Ronny Turiaf dunk knotting the game at 33-33 with 8:33 left. San Antonio jumped back on top, however, with a Bowen three pushing the Spurs lead to 39-33.

Bryant, meanwhile, was largely absent on the offensive end in the first half, and didn't score until he dropped in a layup with 1:29 to play, cutting the LA deficit to eight. He scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting before halftime, and San Antonio led 51-43 at the intermission.

Game Notes

This is the 11th time these teams have met in the postseason. San Antonio is 3-7 versus the Lakers in the playoffs. The Lakers bounced the Spurs in the 2004 conference semifinals, the last postseason matchup between the clubs... The Spurs fell to 2-5 on the road this postseason...Lakers center Andrew Bynum underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Wednesday. He is expected to be ready by the start of training camp.