Spurs 91, Lakers 79: Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili scored 18 points apiece as host San Antonio pulled away in the second half of its first-round series opener against Los Angeles.

Tim Duncan added 17 points, 10 rebounds and three steals for the Spurs, who entered the postseason with three straight losses but raised their game to take a 1-0 lead into Wednesday's Game 2 of the best-of-7 series.

Dwight Howard had 20 points and 15 rebounds and Pau Gasol added 16 and 16 boards for the Lakers, who struggled from the perimeter without injured superstar Kobe Bryant. Los Angeles went 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

San Antonio trailed only once - at 2-0 - but did not seize control until late in the third quarter. Los Angeles had cut a 12-point deficit to seven before Ginobili erupted for a personal 8-2 spurt with a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:24 of the third to give the Spurs a 70-57 lead entering the fourth.

The Lakers never got closer than nine points thereafter and trailed by 10 when Danny Green and Matt Bonner drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to build the lead to 84-68 with 4:04 remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ginobili, who missed nine games with a hamstring injury before making a cameo appearance in the regular-season finale, was 6-for-13 overall and 3-for-5 from behind the arc. ... Nash scored 16 points in 29 1/2 minutes in his return to the starting lineup after sitting out the final eight games of the regular season with hamstring and hip soreness. ... Bonner had 10 points off the bench for the Spurs, who are 21-3 in playoffs series under coach Gregg Popovich when winning Game 1.