NBA PLAYOFFS : Dull Spurs Miss the Point, 94-93 : Western Conference finals: Rockets win Game 1 as Elliott blows his chances, Horry hits.

Welcome to the Alamodome, the Suddenly-Not-So-OK Corral.

The San Antonio Spurs are down, 1-0, today in the All-Texas Western Conference finals, ambushed by a supposedly tired opponent amid questions about their character and how this 94-93 loss to the Houston Rockets before 33,337 came about.

Sean Elliott? Good place to start. He had a team-high 24 points and eight rebounds in 42 minutes. Then again, he also missed two free throws with 26.5 seconds left that could have forced the Rockets to try a three-point shot to get overtime, and then with about three seconds left missed an eight-foot runner down the lane that might have rescued victory.

Robert Horry? Elliott’s counterpart at small forward and his opposite. Horry had tried only four shots and missed all of them heading into the closing seconds. Then, left wide open with 6.4 left, he made a 17-foot shot that became the winning points for the Rockets.

The Spurs as a whole? What can you say about a team that loses to the Lakers at home and admits to not being aggressive enough with the chance to clinch the conference semifinals on the line, wins the next game at the Forum to earn a three-day break, then plays so uninspired to open the next series?

“I don’t think we could have played worse,” said David Robinson, who opened one of 11 from the field and finished five of 17 only hours before he will be named the league’s most valuable player today. “This has to be our worst playoff game, easily.”

Which would be one thing if they just played badly. But Spur players, having just surrendered homecourt advantage in a battle of No. 1 vs No. 6 in the West, were more concerned about the lack of hunger. Bob Hill, their coach, used the word complacent .

Where this came from at such a critical time is for them to sort out. Where the Rockets came from, everyone knows.

With only one full day off to prepare after winning Game 7 at Phoenix Saturday afternoon, they were at least riding an emotional high after using Mario Elie’s three-point shot with 7.1 seconds left to avoid elimination for the fifth time this season.

Now, for a change, they are playing from a position of strength.

This is the only time the defending champions have led a series in the playoffs of ’95 besides the deciding game. This is also only the second time they have beaten San Antonio in their last seven tries, although three of the Rocket losses were by three points or less.

Monday’s meeting, with many in the crowd supporting the Rockets after having made the three-hour drive from Houston, included eight lead changes in the last 4:07. With only 45.9 left, it was 92-92.

When Robinson, who scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, missed his first free throw, the Spurs’ troubles began. He made the second for a one-point lead.

Even good turned to bad: Doc Rivers, coming to double team, sneaked up from behind and stole the ball from Hakeem Olajuwon in the lane on the ensuing possession, which led to Elliott going to the line after being fouled by Sam Cassell. Which led to Elliott missing both free throws.

“I don’t get nervous or anything,” Elliott said. “The free throws just didn’t go.”

The Rockets called time out with 24.1 seconds remaining. With the option of playing for the last shot, four players touched the ball before Horry got it at the three-point line on the left side. He faked the shot from there, and defender Avery Johnson turned away from him and headed toward Cassell on the baseline.

“I’m surprised,” Horry said. “That’s something we used to work on in college all the time, the ball fake. He went for the ball fake.”

It provided all the room Horry needed. He dribbled in a few steps and became the Rocket launcher.

The Spurs, playing at home for the first time since being stunned by a pair of shots by Nick Van Exel, immediately called time out. They had 6.4 seconds left and took the ball in at midcourt, so there was time for a decent shot.

The in-bounds pass went to Elliott several feet beyond the top of the key. He drove into the lane and got a good look. The ball bounced off the rim.

“I was trying to create something,” Elliott said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t go in.”

His comfort should come in that the shot alone did not cost the game.

Around these parts, there are plenty of culprits today.