LAKERS INSIDE LOOK: FACING FRUSTRATION SPURS DENY IT, BUT FEAR FACTOR MIGHT BE BACK.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

San Antonio could have dispatched the comment with this game. The Spurs win and they can laugh about it while bringing a two-game winning streak against the Lakers into the playoffs. Instead, it will linger with them the rest of the season.

They say they aren't scared of the Lakers, contrary to what Rick Fox suggested Saturday. But blowing a six-point lead in the final two minutes, 19 seconds won't quiet the speculation if the teams again meet in the playoffs.

A 96-95 loss to the Lakers on Sunday gave Los Angeles a 3-1 edge in the season series. Any alleviation of the disillusionment from last season's playoff sweep given when the Spurs blew out the Lakers this month is gone.

The frustration is back, shown on the Spurs' faces when they believed Tim Duncan was hit on the wrist by Shaquille O/Neal on a last-second shot. Instead, it was called a clean block and the Spurs stood in disbelief while the Lakers ran out the clock.

Back, too, are the questions of whether the Spurs feel respected by the Lakers and whether San Antonio can beat the Lakers in a seven-game series.

``You know how you look in somebody's eyes and you can tell whether they believe they can win or not?'' Fox asked after the game. ``I think there's a lot that's still lingering from last year.''

The loss has San Antonio wondering why it can't get the calls, why it can't beat the Lakers after leading the entire second half until the final 15.9 seconds, why Duncan disappeared in the fourth quarter, scoring two points after making 16 in the third.

``I just couldn't get anything to go,'' Duncan said. ``I don't know if it was good defense or the officiating down the stretch, but it happened.''

Future assumption of the Spurs' mood swayed in the final minutes.

Steve Smith nails a 3-pointer for the six-point lead. No way the Spurs are scared of the Lakers. Derek Fisher responds with a 3 of his own, followed by two free throws from Robert Horry and two more from Fisher to give the Lakers their first lead since 38-37 in the second quarter.

All of a sudden, it's going to be a long April and May. While the Lakers try to defend their championship, the Spurs will be defending themselves.

``Basketball isn't a sport where you are scared of anybody,'' Duncan insisted. ``I'm not afraid of anybody on the court. It's great that they won two championships and all that great stuff. Why would you be afraid of somebody? They're just a team.''

But a team that feels it owns San Antonio. They earned that distinction by sweeping the Spurs in four games during last year's Western Conference finals, just as San Antonio previously held a mental edge on the Lakers from its sweep of Los Angeles during the Western Conference semifinals in 1998.

San Antonio's veterans tried to dismiss Fox's comment.

``Everybody has an opinion,'' Smith said. ``That's a Phil Jackson Zen thing. They are trying to psyche us out.''

The Lakers don't need to play mind games with San Antonio. The Spurs will hear the same questions over and over in the next month, from the media, from the fans and from themselves.

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San Antonio's Tim Duncan (21) and David Robinson suffered through another frustrating game.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press