Official Lakers at Spurs Game Thread

[Eddy from Austin]

Lakers-Spurs Preview

By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

(AP) -- After Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all got San Antonio's last game off to rest, the Spurs' top three players are expected to be back on the court against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers' biggest star, however, will not play.

Los Angeles will again be without Kobe Bryant on Wednesday night when it visits the Spurs in a matchup of division leaders.

San Antonio's 11-game winning streak ended with Monday's 91-84 loss to Utah, but extending the run was of little concern to Gregg Popovich. After bowing out in a first-round series as the No. 1 seed in last season's playoffs, Popovich wants his veteran team fresh for a championship drive this spring.

He has periodically given Duncan, Parker and Ginobili time off, and Monday all three rested, leaving a combined average of 46.8 points on the bench. Not surprisingly, the Spurs (40-15) finished with their third-lowest scoring output of the season - 24.4 points less than they averaged during their winning streak.

The loss, coupled with an Oklahoma City win, dropped the Spurs one game back of the Thunder for first place in the Western Conference.

Maintaining good health, however, is the biggest priority for San Antonio, which enters Wednesday's contest tied with Cleveland for the fewest games played with 55. The Spurs close the season with 11 games in 16 days, including three against the Lakers (36-22), whom they split their four games with last year. By comparison, Los Angeles has eight games left.

Like San Antonio, the Lakers are also hoping to make the playoffs at full strength. Bryant's health is obviously invaluable to Los Angeles, but the 14-time All-Star is a bit banged-up.

Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer at 28.1 points, will miss his third straight game with a sore left shin. He has worn a walking boot to protect an inflammation surrounding a tendon, and the only way it will improve is with rest.

"It's OK that it's taking time for him to get right," coach Mike Brown told the team's official website after practice Tuesday.
The Lakers have split their two games without Bryant - losing to Phoenix 125-105 Saturday and beating West-worst New Orleans 93-91 two days later.

Pau Gasol has stepped up his play in Bryant's absence, finishing with a season-high 30 points against the Suns and scoring 25 versus the Hornets. Andrew Bynum also helped the Lakers stay strong inside without their top playmaker, combining for 41 points in the last two.

"I'm one of the anchors - when (Bryant) is not there, even more - so I get a lot more involved in the offense," said Gasol, who averages 17.3 points. "I'm not trying to be the main guy here. We have a great team and some great weapons. ... I just picked up a little bit the role of scoring and being aggressive offensively just because, obviously, the absence of the top scorer in the league."

The Lakers were strong defensively down the stretch Monday, limiting New Orleans to 19 points on 34.8 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, but containing a San Antonio team averaging 112.6 points during an eight-game home winning streak seems like a much bigger challenge.

Parker is averaging 21.7 points on 59.4 percent shooting in his last nine at the AT&T Center, while Duncan is averaging 18.7 points and 12.2 rebounds in his last six there.
Duncan, however, struggled mightily in his three games against the Lakers last season, averaging 4.0 points on 19.2 percent shooting.

Bynum also wasn't much of a factor offensively in last season's series, averaging 7.0 points.
Bryant totaled 53 points in the two wins against San Antonio in 2010-11 but only 37 on 28.9 percent shooting in the defeats.

[spurscrazed]

Look to us it doesn't matter if Kobe played or not.....

This evil empire f Lakers will LOSE in San Antonio!

Not at our HOME sweet HOME!

Spurs 109
FTL 102

Go Spurs Go!!!!!!!

FTL SPURS

[esparzar1]

Here we go! Spurs are gonna get up for this! Big three in line-up, playing at home!

Spurs 107

FTL 91

[Mombear]

No Gary Neal tonight for Spurs against Lakers. Stomach bug

[Mombear]

Spurs 110
Lakers 99

[DDAMAGE]

I sure hope this was an off night for our team...

[spursfan9]

major pwn-age. and not even a kobe in sight.

the embarrassment strikes deep. "rest" our guys so they could get PWND. wow.

[Uwe Blab]

THIS is why you don't give away games. They had no rhythm. Everyone was tentative. TP has a mental block about penetrating the lane against the Lakers. Manu was not himself. They should not be resting guys at this point in the season. Believe me, this team NEEDS HCA as deep as possible in the playoffs.

[Spurd_On]

That was the game plan for matchups????

Why weren't Duncan and Splitter matched against Bynum and Gasol?
When Gasol or Bynum had the ball, why didn't a Spurs guard move in for help defense?
Why wasn't Kawhi or Jackson on Ron Artest Whatever-Something-beginning in-M World Peace every minute he was in the game?
Where were the floaters over the huge defenders?
Where were the passes?
Where were the up and unders?

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by Spurd_On

That was the game plan for matchups????

Why weren't Duncan and Splitter matched against Bynum and Gasol?
When Gasol or Bynum had the ball, why didn't a Spurs guard move in for help defense?
Why wasn't Kawhi or Jackson on Ron Artest Whatever-Something-beginning in-M World Peace every minute he was in the game?
Where were the floaters over the huge defenders?
Where were the passes?

i've learned you can't question those things because some people just say "in Pop we trust"

[Spurd_On]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

i've learned you can't question those things because some people just say "in Pop we trust"

Agreed. It sucks to be human. I make mistakes every day. I'll bet Pop is human too.

[spurscrazed]

Seems like all Spurs players and coaches had "Brain Farts"

But hey that could be good false feeling that Lakers think now that they are World Beaters and the next time we see them we will Dominate....

Watch the Lakers fall to the next opponents miserably.

As for the Spurs I figured when Pop had sat the big three the last Utah game couple of days ago, the reserves got *HURT* from the loss. And the starters watched that game and felt bad for the loss. So my guess tonight the Spurs came out flat because of the rust plus perhaps because they were over occupied with Memphis coming here tomorrow night and we all know how Memphis eliminated us last year from the PO... So in the back of the Spurs players mind they must have thought no Kobe so they can breeze thru this game and get ready for Memphis.... and they got relaxed since they are at home too...... Big mistake.... Cost them the game.....

But nothing could be done since the NBA ugly schedule dictated this rest and I am 100% with Pop on resting those 3.

What good is HCA if the Spurs are not healthy. Not good in my opinion....

Pop is 100% right.

The NBA schedule is cruel and we have not control about that. We have to live with that...


Go Spurs Go!

[grizzly_bexar]

I wouldn't be too quick to overlook this Laker team. Artest won't average 26 ppg against us in a series, but with a healthy Kobe, he won't need to.

We showed NOTHING against their bigs. That is a problem, partly because we have a history of letting that duo dominate us when healthy.

[Rzarector7]

Originally Posted by grizzly_bexar

I wouldn't be too quick to overlook this Laker team. Artest won't average 26 ppg against us in a series, but with a healthy Kobe, he won't need to.

We showed NOTHING against their bigs. That is a problem, partly because we have a history of letting that duo dominate us when healthy.

Those who wrote LA OFF early as a threat get a wakeup call tonight man, they are still very good when healthy (Even without Kobe it seems). They can beat you, it will not be an easy out.