Half: Lakers 42, Spurs 42

The Lakers looked like they were on their way to a healthy halftime lead tonight, moving to a 40-33 advantage over the San Antonio Spurs late in the second quarter. Then the Spurs surged, outscored the Lakers, 9-2, and pulled even by the halftime buzzer. The Lakers started the night 6 1/2 games behind the league-leading Spurs, so in many ways the game carried a little more weight than Sunday's loss to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers have had the best record in the West the last three seasons, advancing to the Finals each time. Catching the Spurs and securing home-court advantage would be helpful if the Lakers hope to reach the Finals for the fourth straight season.