Lakers 91, Spurs 86: Dwight Howard had 26 points and 17 rebounds and Steve Blake added 23 points as host Los Angeles won its first game since losing star Kobe Bryant to a season-ending injury.

Antawn Jamison chipped in 15 points off the bench for the Lakers, who moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Utah in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Spurs shot 37.1 percent and fell one game behind Oklahoma City for the top seed in the West.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 23 points and 10 rebounds and Danny Green added 16 points. The Spurs have lost three of their last five games, while Los Angeles has won four straight and seven of its last eight.

Blake scored 18 points in the first half, which ended when the Spurs’ Gary Neal hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 43. The Lakers used a 15-4 run to lead 84-73 lead with four minutes left before San Antonio rallied with six unanswered points.

The Spurs trailed 90-86 after Cory Joseph hit a 3-pointer with 1:08 left, but they missed their next three shots and the Lakers were able to snap a four-game losing streak against San Antonio. Spurs point guard Tony Parker missed nine of his 10 shots and sat out most of the fourth quarter.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Lakers PG Steve Nash missed his sixth straight game with hip and hamstring soreness. … The Lakers signed G Andrew Goudelock from the NBA Development League to replace Bryant’s spot on the roster. ... Los Angeles hosts Houston in Wednesday’s regular-season finale while San Antonio closes with games against Golden State and Minnesota.