Popovich talks good game

It’s not too soon to panic anymore.

Why stay calm and let your neighbors have all the fun, phoning talk radio with Ron Artest trades (to Miami for LeBron James, to Boston for Rajon Rondo, to San Antonio for Manu Ginobili)?

What’s next, disbanding the franchise?

After three days debating Artest’s desire to leave (who knows?), the Lakers’ desire to trade him (not impossible) and their chances of actually doing it (making $6.3 million, averaging 8.1 points a game, not even for Hannibal Lecter), imagine what comes now after Antonio McDyess’ last-second tip-in gave the Spurs an 89-88 victory, leaving the Lakers 0-5 against San Antonio, Boston, Miami and Dallas.

Right, it’s too horrible to contemplate.

The first-place Spurs arrived with a 61/2-game lead over the Lakers, bearing tribute, or, at least, the proper respect for the two-time defending champions.

“I think they’re the best team in the West, I really do,” said Coach Gregg Popovich before the game.

Coach Phil Jackson really does too, although no one had said anything as nice recently.

“I’d like to believe that,” said Jackson, grinning, “but our record doesn’t show it.”

Now their record really doesn’t show it, and it’s a 71/2-game deficit, and a virtual certainty the Lakers will be on the road if they play the Spurs in the West Finals.

San Antonio is the last team other than the Lakers to come out of the West four years ago in 2007 when the Spurs won their fourth and last title since 1999.

After that, the Lakers appeared in all three Finals, winning titles No. 4 and 5, making it their decade. Now, suddenly, the venerable Spurs have a youthful or at least a lively look, while the Lakers struggle We thought.

“I’ve heard that you have written that,” Popovich told the Lakers press corps before the game.

“I think they’re the best team in the West. I think the struggles are overblown by you guys and gals.

“They are who they are, they’ve been doing this a long time, they just won two [titles] in a row again.

“And there’s no doubt that perhaps there’s going to be some nights when it’s just not all there emotionally.

“Now that we’ve got the best record, we run into that and we haven’t won a championship in a long time. We don’t even have that excuse and it happens to us.

“I think they’re the best, I really do. They’re put together the way they need to be put together, they’ve got the experience, they know what they’re doing. Phil’s going to be patient with them and do what he does, and they’ll be there come playoff time.”

Of course, it takes something extra to repeat, as Jackson’s Bulls and Lakers have seven times.

“It must be [hard],” said Popovich, laughing, “because we’ve never repeated since I’ve been here -- so I think it’s hard as hell.

“It’s really, really, really, really, really difficult to win a championship.

“That’s why what Phil has done here and in Chicago is ridiculous. It makes no sense to me. I don’t know how anybody can do that. It’s just remarkable.”

Let’s just say, if Jackson does it this time, it will really be remarkable.

Nevertheless, Thursday was different for the Lakers, who came from eight down in the last seven minutes, went ahead, 88-87, on Pau Gasol’s free throws with 22 seconds left, then forced the Spurs to miss three shots

Right up until McDyess tipped in Tim Duncan’s brick at the buzzer. Win some, lose some. Or this season, maybe the Lakers will win some eventually. Popovich will be back in two weeks, coaching the West All-Stars, out of the Lakers’ dressing room.

“Well, I’m not going in there,” said Popovich, laughing.

“Phil will do something to me. I’m just going to lean in and say, ‘Fight hard guys, go get em! Have a good night, 1-2-3!’ ”

Thursday night wasn’t bad for the Spurs, who were supposed to have succumbed to old age by now.

As the Lakers could tell you, things change.

mark.heisler@latimes.com