The most prominent example is Ginobili. Some people say Duncan is San Antonio’s best player. Some say it’s Tony Parker. Others say Ginobili. I say what’s the difference? If you’re the Lakers and you allow one of those three to destroy you, then you’re in trouble.

In the first two games, Ginobili was said to be suffering the ill effects of a sprained left ankle as well as an injured finger. The Spurs must offer a heck of a medical plan, because he seemed fine Sunday. He had 22 points at intermission and was nailing his outside shot; he was 5 for 7 from 3-point land on the night, and he also sank all seven of his free-throw attempts.

In the first two games, the Lakers overall played much better team defense. In Game 3 on Sunday, it was as if someone in the lockerroom erased the “defense” portion of the chalkboard. The Spurs not only shot 51 percent from the field (while holding the Lakers to 42 percent), but they also drained an incredible 56 percent from 3-point territory.

Perhaps it’s psychological. Maybe the Lakers felt they had demoralized the Spurs in Game 2, and that this would be easy and require no extra effort. Big miscalculation. Defense needs to become even more intensified as a playoff series proceeds, and in this case, with the defending champions playing on their home court, the Lakers should have been thinking defense from the time they boarded the plane in Los Angeles to the opening tip in San Antonio, and beyond.

And maybe head coach Phil Jackson and his staff prepared for Game 3 without hanging a big red flag on the practice court to represent the danger Ginobili poses if he suddenly gets well.

But now they know. Now the Lakers understand that the Spurs are back, and it seems likely that Jackson and Kobe Bryant will have the team mentally prepared to take the Spurs’ best shot in Game 4.

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Bryant has been magnificent this season, and in these playoffs. He put up 30 Sunday, but it was a relatively silent 30 because the Spurs established their intentions early in this game and the MVP’s production seemed almost moot.

What he will probably contribute in Game 4, though, is his steely determination. He will rally the troops and make sure that their concentration levels won’t waver no matter what the Spurs throw at them. Pity the fool who doesn’t hustle in practice Monday; he’ll be in Kobe’s doghouse, where there are no treats.

Although the Spurs are a proud bunch, the Lakers shouldn’t worry about that. They already have a collective fat lip from this Game 3 fight. What they don’t need is a black eye on top of it. They can avoid that indignity by shaking off Sunday’s flop as an anomaly and reminding themselves that they are still in charge, even if maintaining that status just got a lot more difficult.

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