Ginobili scored 27 points, as the Spurs run away with a 97-76 victory

SAN ANTONIO -- Two steps quicker, two games ahead.

The San Antonio Spurs were at their best Sunday night in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, speeding out to a big early lead and frustrating the Detroit Pistons the rest of the way in a 97-76 victory for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship round.

The quickness and creativity of Manu Ginobili again stood out. But unlike in Game 1 when Ginobili took over in the fourth quarter, this time he did it earlier and received plenty of help.

Ginobili scored 27 points with seven assists, while Tim Duncan was his usual efficient self with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Throw in Bruce Bowen's 3-point shooting from his favorite spot in the corner, along with the work of Tony Parker and Robert Horry, and this one was all but over by the time the fourth quarter began.

The Pistons did manage to pull within eight points midway through the final quarter, but Ginobili stopped them by drawing Rasheed Wallace's fifth foul, then coming up with a steal, an assist and several free throws as the lead quickly went back to 20.

Detroit guards Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton did next to nothing offensively for the first three quarters, and on defense they were helpless to stop Parker and Ginobili.

Opponents had been averaging less than 86 points against the Pistons in the playoffs, but the Spurs had everything clicking so well that they reached that number with 5 minutes 44 seconds left.

Only two teams in NBA history have come back from 2-0 deficits to win a championship, which couldn't have been much of a reassuring thought for the Pistons.

Game 3 is Tuesday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and the Pistons are a long way from where they were a year ago when they split the opening two games in Los Angeles before returning home and closing out the Lakers in five.

This one got away from them quickly.

Tayshaun Price and Hamilton each picked up two fouls by the midpoint of the second quarter.

Ginobili had a particularly spectacular stretch midway through the second quarter, executing three completely different plays.

First, he ran a give-and-go play with Parker in which the two were never closer than 15 feet and used nearly half the court. Parker was a step or two past midcourt when he hit Ginobili with a pass far on the right wing behind the 3-point line, and as Parker cut hard to the basket Ginobili hit him in stride with a perfectly placed one-handed bounce pass for a layup.

Next, Ginobili drove the lane and drew two defenders before flipping the ball out to Horry for a wide-open 3-pointer. Finally, he stopped in the lane after coming around a pick, reversed direction to lose Prince and made a quick cut to the basket.

Parker hit him with a pass, and Ginobili dropped in a layup for a 49-31 lead.

San Antonio led 56-42 after Horry stole the Pistons' lazy inbounds pass with 16 seconds left before halftime, giving the Spurs enough time for one more possession that ended with two foul shots by Ginobili.

The Argentine guard had 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting with five assists, while Duncan was 4-for-5 for 14 points and Parker was 5-for-7 for 10 points at halftime.

Prince did not score in the half for Detroit, while Billups and Hamilton combined for just seven points.

San Antonio's lead reached 23 points in the third quarter, and Ginobili made big plays each time Detroit threatened to get within striking distance. A quick-release 3 from the left side made it 76-58, and Ginobili then passed out to Beno Udrih for a 3 that game the Spurs a 79-63 lead entering the fourth.

Billups scored six points in a 10-2 run that made it 81-73 before Ginobili made a few more big plays to end the threat.

So frustrated were the Pistons that Brown and Billups picked up simultaneous technical fouls with 3:54 left. Ginobili hit both shots to get the lead back up to 20.