Spurs vs. Lakers Previews

[duncan228]

Lakers, Spurs share esteemed success this past decade (http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2010/01/lakers-spurs-share-esteemed-success-this-past-decade.html)
Mark Medina
Lakers Blog
Los Angeles Times

With the Lakers visiting the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, the accomplishments both organizations have earned this past decade appear nearly impeccable.

The Lakers won four NBA titles, including a three-peat from 2000 to 2002. The Spurs won three, one in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Although the Spurs had 576 wins to the Lakers' 530, the Lakers had 98 playoff victories and were the only team this past decade to win at least 65 games in two seasons. Nonetheless, the Lakers' 2004-05 season featured only the fifth time the franchise missed the playoffs. The Spurs, meanwhile, were the only franchise to win at least 50 games and make the postseason every year this past decade.

Lots of the success came on the backs of likely future Hall-of-Fame players, such as the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal and the Spurs' David Robinson (current HOF) and Tim Duncan. Their coaches -- the Lakers' Phil Jackson (10) and the Spurs' Gregg Popovich (four) -- are the only two active coaches with multiple championships. And then there's the value of the teams, with the Lakers worth a league-high $607 million and the Spurs worth $398 million, according to Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/09/nba-basketball-valuations-business-sports-basketball-values-09-intro.html).

With both teams sharing rich history this past decade, the Lakers acknowledged they keep tabs on the Spurs' accomplishments.

Fjr4gbtBCeg

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Lakers ready for Texas trip (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/01/lakers-ready-for-texas-trip.html)

The Lakers know they will have their hands full with a two-game trip through Texas.

They begin the trip with a game in San Antonio on Tuesday night at the AT&T Center. It's the first time the Lakers and Spurs have played this season.

Then the Lakers play the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday night in a back-to-back game. The Lakers and Mavericks have played twice this season, both games at Staples Center, ending in a split.

The Lakers are listing Pau Gasol, who has been out with a strained left hamstring, doubtful for the Spurs' game.

Gasol worked out on the treadmill but didn't practice. Gasol is going on the trip.

Luke Walton practiced and looked pretty good.

Ron Artest, who experienced some dizziness after a fall on the court during Sunday night's game, practiced on Monday.

-- Broderick Turner

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SPURS STILL RUSTY ON ROAD (http://www.seattlepi.com/scorecard/nbanews.asp?articleID=272728)

The San Antonio Spurs are surprisingly one of the worst teams on the road this season as evidenced by their 6-7 record away from the Alamo City.

That being said they're still just two games off the lead in the Southwest standings and have won two of three games to kick off a four-game homestand. The Spurs better work all the kinks out now before a four-game trip against the Thunder, Bobcats, Grizzlies and Hornets commences later this week.

Before hitting the road against a few middle-of-the-pack franchises, the Spurs will face a true test versus the Lakers on Tuesday at the AT&T Center. A win over Bryant and the defending champs will surely inflate the confidence level for the upcoming road swing.

"They are the champions; they are the team we have to catch," Spurs guard Tony Parker said after Sunday's win versus New Jersey. "They are five or six games ahead of us...they are playing really well right now. I think we have a long way to go to get at their level. But with one game, you never know what might happen."

Tim Duncan had 14 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in the latest win, and is 17th in the NBA with 20.0 ppg. The future Hall of Famer is 10th in the league with 10.4 boards per contest.

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Mike Bresnahan's takes on the Lakers (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-brez-takes12-2010jan12,0,7750430.story)

Mike Bresnahan covers the Lakers for The Times and ties up loose ends on the day of his self-designated "Lakers game of the week." The Lakers play Tuesday night at San Antonio.

I've felt embarrassed plenty of times in my life, most recently on Saturday night when I ran into this woman I really liked a few years ago, got excited when I saw her at a Manhattan Beach establishment, only to see she was all over some dude with bad breath and a Santa belly.

Happens all the time to me.

Six months ago, there was my humiliating fling with the San Antonio Spurs.

After they got Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks for next to nothing, I told the Times' basketball editor that they were the team that would threaten the Lakers in the Western Conference.

So what did they do this season? Started out 9-9 and looked old, tired and injured. Great.

Don't look now, but the Spurs are 22-13 and rising quickly in the West. Maybe I'll be right this time. I can feel the momentum surging, the confidence brimming. No mountain is too tall to climb! Now if only I can run into that woman again . . . yeah, right.

[duncan228]

Los Angeles (29-8) at San Antonio (22-13) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2010011224&prov=ap)
Game info: 8:30 pm EST Tue Jan 12, 2010
TV: KCAL, My35
By Matt Beardmore

The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t lost four in a row on the road in nearly three years. That could remain the case with the defending champions heading to San Antonio to face a Spurs squad that’s struggled against the league’s top teams.

The Lakers and Spurs meet at AT&T Center on Tuesday night in the first of four regular-season matchups.

Los Angeles (29-8) has the best overall record in the NBA, but it’s in danger of dropping four in a row on the road for the first time since a five-game slide from March 4-15, 2007.

“We’ve lost a couple on the road now,” coach Phil Jackson said following Monday’s practice. “We have to figure out some of the things we have to do.”

Improving their shooting should be near the top of that list. Los Angeles is hitting 40.6 percent from the field while dropping two of three overall. Kobe Bryant, among the league leaders with 29.6 points per game, hasn’t been immune to the team’s cold shooting. He’s shot 33.3 percent over his last four games while dealing with a finger injury he admits has affected his form.

Bryant missed 17 of 21 shots and scored 12 points in Sunday’s 95-77 victory over Milwaukee. It was the worst shooting game of Bryant’s career when he’s taken more than 16 shots.

“I played with the splint off. We put it back on in the second half,” Bryant said of his broken right index finger. “Just trying to get a little bit more flexibility back. The finger felt pretty good, so we tried to go without the splint. It’s just not strong enough.”

San Antonio (22-13), though, likely won’t underestimate Bryant, who is averaging 27.3 points and shooting 51.0 percent in his last seven games in San Antonio, which includes two in the 2008 Western Conference finals. The Spurs are 4-3 in those games.

“The type of player (Bryant) is, he’s going to come out strong and definitely do better than he did last game,” veteran guard Keith Bogans said Monday. “I hope my teammates help me out, because he’s almost impossible to stop 1-on-1.”

The way the Spurs have played against teams with winning records, they would gladly give up a big game from Bryant in exchange for a victory. San Antonio has won 13 of 17 overall, but four of its last five victories have come against teams currently 11 games below .500 or worse, including a 97-85 win over New Jersey on Sunday.

The Spurs have lost four of five against current division leaders this season, and they’ve only beaten one team that currently has a winning record since the start of December.

“We haven’t put a game together the right way,” said Tim Duncan, who averaged 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds as the Spurs dropped two of three to the Lakers last season. “Defensively, we’re not where we need to be. Offensively, we’re kind of up and down. There’s a lot of things now we need to learn as a team, and hopefully we can clean up those things in the coming games.

“It’s a process, and it’s one that every one of us want to accelerate as soon as possible.”

The Spurs could benefit if Pau Gasol misses his fifth straight game with a sore left hamstring, but Andrew Bynum is averaging 17.3 points and 13.0 boards in Gasol’s absence. Bynum, who grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds Sunday, will go for his fourth consecutive double-double Tuesday after not posting one in his previous 23 games.

The Lakers will get their first look at Richard Jefferson in a Spurs uniform. Jefferson, acquired from Milwaukee last offseason, is shooting 55.3 percent from the field in his last five games, but he is having one of his worst seasons at 13.2 points per contest.

Los Angeles and San Antonio meet again Feb. 8 at Staples Center.

*********************

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Kobe Bryant LAL 29.6
Tim Duncan SA 20.0

Rebounds
Pau Gasol LAL 11.5
Tim Duncan SA 10.4

Assists
Kobe Bryant LAL 4.6
Tony Parker SA 5.8

*********************

Injuries

LA Lakers

K. Bryant Broken Finger
P. Gasol Hamstring
L. Walton Back

San Antonio

M. Bonner Hand
M. Finley Ankle

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http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp/1-12pre.jpg

[Solid D]

I think the biggest concern the Spurs should have is moving the ball and, thus, moving the Lakers' defense. This is one of the best defensive teams the Lakers have had since the 2000-2002 days. The Lakers are the NBA's #1 defense in both Opp. FG% (.433) and Opp. 3-Pt % (.301).

Given, the Spurs have better firepower this season with the NBA's #2 ranked FG% (.487) and #3 ranked 3-Pt % (.394) and they have worked their way up to 4th in Point Diff (+6.31) but they will need every made basket they can get against the Long and Tall Lakers.

Don't count on Kobe's finger bothering him in this one, even though it has been the past several games. Lakers v. Spurs games with Kobe are always up a notch on his competitive scale.

The Spurs have a chance to win this game, but only if they reverse the ball, shoot well and play great team D.

[alchemist]

:hungry: should be a battle, Spurs need this game confidence wise with their heavy schedule this week.

[duncan228]

Game of the day: L.A. Lakers at San Antonio Spurs (http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=178922&t=0)
By Marc Lawrence

Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs (-2.5, 195) (http://www.covers.com/pageloader/pageLoader.aspx?page=/data/nba/matchups/g5_summary_5.html)

The feature game on Tuesday’s NBA card tips off in San Antonio when the Spurs host the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers at the AT&T Center.

Tonight marks the first meeting between these two squads this season. The Lakers have won seven of the last nine games in this series, but have dropped seven of the last 14 meetings in San Antonio.

Front and center

After allowing 42 points in the fourth quarter in a 112-103 home loss to Dallas Friday night, the Spurs bounced back to beat the Nets, 97-85.

Little used center Ian Mahinmi scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting with nine rebounds. Both were career highs. Mahinimi is a former first-round selection four years ago who's had multiple ankle problems.

Tim Duncan is leading the Spurs in scoring (20.0 ppg) for the first time in three seasons. Opponents no longer fear Duncan as they used to, having a greater respect for the scoring ability of his supporting cast. As a result Duncan is no longer constantly double-teamed and his statistics are reflecting that.

The Spurs are also averaging 101.9 points per game, the most ever under coach Gregg Popovich.

Simply the best

Los Angeles leads the league with a 29-8 record this season, one game better than the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers rank fifth in total offense, averaging 103.6 ppg.

Star guard Kobe Bryant averages 29.6 ppg, second only to Denver’s Carmelo Anthony (30.0) and just ahead of Cleveland’s Lebron James (29.2).

San Antonio ranks fifth in total team defense, surrendering 95.6 ppg. The Spurs are third in rebounding margin.

Rumor mill

Lakers C Andrew Bynum is being dangled as possible trade bait for Toronto's Chris Bosh, according to the New York Post.

Of course, both teams are denying the rumor. “For the record, I am not actively seeking a deal or discussing Bosh with any team, much less the Lakers,” said Raptors’ G.M. Bryan Colangelo. “I haven’t traded him yet and our position has been the same. We will not make a deal just to make a deal. Our intention is to keep him here long term.”

Bed check

After missing 13 of 14 shots in the first half Sunday versus Milwaukee, Bryant will put the protective splint back on his fractured right index finger.

Other Lakers with nicks and bruises include Ron Artest (concussion), Pau Gasol (hamstring) and Luke Walton (back). All are questionable for Tuesday’s tilt.

Meanwhile, San Antonio’s Matt Bonner is out (hand) and Michael Finley (ankle) remains day-to-day.

Whew!

Thanks to Sunday’s 95-77 win over Milwaukee, the Lakers still haven’t lost three consecutive games since acquiring Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 1, 2008.

After losses to the Clippers and Trail Blazers, they bounced back to rout Milwaukee on Sunday night and avoid a third straight setback. The 77 points tied a season-low for the Bucks this season. It was the fewest points ever scored by Milwaukee against the Lakers.

Did you know

Since last season, the Lakers are 10-6 straight up and 12-4 against the spread in games they weren’t favored.

Since the 2005 season, the Spurs are 7-18 SU and 6-19 ATS against teams with.750 or greater winning percentages.

[iggypop123]

questionable! damn i have to wait till tomorrow to find out. should decide outcome. healthy spurs vs hurt lakers = likely loss

[duncan228]

LAKERS TUESDAY: vs. 22-13 Spurs (http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/11/lakers-tuesday-vs-22-13-spurs-530-pm/28287/)
Janis Carr, Orange County Register

How they match up:
Lakers: 103.6 points, 96.6 points allowed, 45.8 FG%, 77.1 FT%
Spurs: 101.9 points, 95.6 points allowed, 48.7 FG%, 74.8 FT%

Outlook
Look for a high-scoring game considering the way these two teams are shooting the ball. Kobe Bryant will be wearing a splint again on his fractured finger in an effort to straighten out his shot. He is 28 of 88 in his past three games. The bench, namely Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown have been picking up the slack. This is the first time the teams will meet this season, unusual considering the lateness of the season. “This is a good test for us obviously,” Tim Duncan said. “Hopefully we can put together a full game and come out feeling good.” Like the Lakers, the Spurs have had their share of injuries. Michael Finley (ankle) and Matt Bonner (hand) are out. Pau Gasol (hamstring) is doubtful for tonight’s game, while Luke Walton (back) is out.

[mytespurs]

questionable! damn i have to wait till tomorrow to find out. should decide outcome. healthy spurs vs hurt lakers = likely loss

Spurs have been sub .500 against the upper echelon teams. Until the Spurs show they can play with the big boys, I'll have to go w/the Lakers even with no Pau and an injured Kobe. And....Kobe hasn't played well in a couple of games so this may be the game he breaks out.

Of course I'll be rooting for a Spurs victory! :toast

[mfanatic]

Tony/Hill
Bogans/Mason
Jefferson/Manu
Duncan/Blair
Ian/Big Bike

No better chance of beating the Lakers

[TD 21]

I think the biggest concern the Spurs should have is moving the ball and, thus, moving the Lakers' defense. This is one of the best defensive teams the Lakers have had since the 2000-2002 days. The Lakers are the NBA's #1 defense in both Opp. FG% (.433) and Opp. 3-Pt % (.301).

Given, the Spurs have better firepower this season with the NBA's #2 ranked FG% (.487) and #3 ranked 3-Pt % (.394) and they have worked their way up to 4th in Point Diff (+6.31) but they will need every made basket they can get against the Long and Tall Lakers.

Don't count on Kobe's finger bothering him in this one, even though it has been the past several games. Lakers v. Spurs games with Kobe are always up a notch on his competitive scale.

The Spurs have a chance to win this game, but only if they reverse the ball, shoot well and play great team D.


If Bynum, not Gasol, were out, I'd call it out-the-window, so I won't say that, instead I'll go with greatly diminished; how's that? The Lakers size, that is. Of course, that's also predicated on how the Spurs match-up with the Lakers. I'm concerned that both Blair and McDyess will have trouble staying with Odom off the dribble and that will give way to Jefferson having to spend a copious amounts of time, including down the stretch, guarding him. If that doesn't happen, then size-wise the Spurs should be fine.

Completely agree with you about Bryant. My concern here is Bogans being overly aggressive and picking up cheap fouls, particularly early. He has to keep Bryant off the free throw line and contest every shot. He does that and regardless of how many points Bryant scores, he's done his job.

A chance? The Spurs are at home, the Lakers are missing their 2nd best player and one of the top 15 players in the league and the Spurs figure to be more desperate for the win and all you're giving them is "a chance"? Maybe that's more of a commentary about what you think of the Spurs or maybe it's just another case of someone overrating the Lakers. I know the Spurs haven't given anyone any reason to continue to pick them against elite teams, but theoretically they should have a lot more than a chance.

[darkwitzki]

Go Spurs!

[ffadicted]

Should be a hell of a game, can't wait!

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Tue. Jan 12
L.A. Lakers @ San Antonio: Ken Mauer; John Goble; Tommy Nunez Jr.

[duncan228]

Preview: Lakers vs. Spurs (http://purplegoldblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/preview-lakers-vs-spurs.html)
The Purple and Gold Blog

Here it is Laker fans. The start of a string of road games for the purple and gold this month. And what better way to (hopefully) wake the Lakers (29-8) up than their first meeting with an old foe the San Antonio Spurs (22-13). Even with some new faces in their roster, the Spurs hasn't changed much.

They still have a solid defense and no one employs their coach's offensive system and philosophies better than they do. But more importantly, the heart and soul of the team Manu Ginobili is healthy. Well, at least for now.

Much like Boston, the Spurs is a team that shouldn't be toyed around with because they believe in themselves and have the talent and experience to get by any team in this league, including the defending champs. But as always, an explosive scoring team that can exploit their lack of speed and young legs give them troubles. The problem is the Lakers haven't been that team since they put together a series of victories earlier this season.

In all cases, this game should be a dandy. We have the two teams everyone expects to see each other in this year's Western Conference Finals, and I wouldn't doubt it either. Pau Gasol will travel with the team, but will be missing his fifth and sixth game tonight and tomorrow against the Mavericks. Will the Lakers allow his unavailability factor in with how they're going to play tonight and tomorrow? They shouldn't, and I don't think it will.

This is their first real chance at redeeming themselves for their ditching of that Cleveland game and to tell us Laker fans to worry no more. In the meantime, the Spurs are gauging themselves against the Lakers and will surely give their confidence a boost if they come out as victors.

Kobe Bryant is said to be going back to using the flexible splint on his injured shooting finger. He has been playing with a finger casing that highly limited the range of his shooting the past few games to expedite the healing of his finger. I guess that will have to wait because the Lakers are struggling in the field without his offensive production.

Both Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom have to work extra hard tonight at both ends of the floor without Gasol in there. They have to limit the rebounding and good looks at the rim for Tim Duncan (averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds) and anybody who wanders into the paint. Ron Artest has to save his energy on defense to try to contain new Spur Richard Jefferson (averaging 13.2 points).

But the Lakers will have plenty of bodies to worry about outside the usual starters for the Spurs. Guys like Roger Mason (a headache in the perimeter), rookie center Ian Mahinmi (has a 15 PPG and 9 RPG average), rookie guard George Hill, and veteran Antonio McDyess are all more than capable of putting their mark in the game if the Lakers allow them. However, the one guy they have to make sure to not get any rhythm going is Ginobili because if he does we all know how his production can carry the Spurs.

So Kobe has more than his shooting to think about tonight. He has to work as hard on the defensive end against Manu and anybody else he gets his hands on. Derek Fisher will also have to be sharp going up against Parker. He can't allow Parker to do whatever he wants on the offensive end, but I also would like to see Fish be a little aggressive on offense just to make Tony work on that end also.

The keys for the Lakers tonight is stick with the Triangle and play aggressive but smart defense. The Spurs are a different beast because they have way too much experience and have the second best coach in the league to get easily rattled or dejected by anything the Lakers are able to do against them.

If the Laker bench could also transfer the pep in their steps from the Bucks game into this one, that will certainly put more pressure on the Spurs and give the Lakers more ammo to throw at San Antonio.

The Spurs are 16-6 at home and have won 7 of their last 10 games. They're coming off of a 12-point win against the Nets (but who hasn't beaten New Jersey) after losing a tough one against Dallas at the AT&T Center 112-103. The Lakers are 8-5 on the road but have lost 4 of their last 10 games. Then again, rankings and overall records mean nothing between these two teams because they both want one thing at the end of the season — the championship.

Hopefully when the dust settles, we'll see the Lakers standing.

[Spursmania]

Referee Assignments
Tue. Jan 12
L.A. Lakers @ San Antonio: Ken Mauer; John Goble; Tommy Nunez Jr.

No excuses with the refs tonight.:toast

[Spursmania]

"But the Lakers will have plenty of bodies to worry about outside the usual starters for the Spurs. Guys like Roger Mason (a headache in the perimeter), rookie center Ian Mahinmi (has a 15 PPG and 9 RPG average), rookie guard George Hill, and veteran Antonio McDyess are all more than capable of putting their mark in the game if the Lakers allow them."

What? This guy thinks Pop is going to play Ian. Does he know something we don't?:stirpot:

[024]

he also called george hill a rookie.

[bus driver]

win or lose :flipoff the lakers! :flag::flag:

while i am at it... include the mavs and the suns!
:flag: :flag: :flag:


its game day!

[duncan228]

Question of the Week (http://mikefratello.com/)
Mike Fratello

Kobe Bryant pays fellow four-time NBA champion Tim Duncan a visit tonight. Both teams need the game (http://www.nba.com/games/20100112/LALSAS/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp0020900556): San Antonio has moved up in the standings the last two weeks, but they are just 3-11 against teams with a winning record. The Spurs need to prove they can beat the best teams in the league — perhaps Finley and Bonner will return to lend a timely hand.

The Lakers have hit a little rough patch and could use a big win to get moving in the right direction again. However Artest isn’t one hundred percent yet and Gasol remains day-to-day with the hamstring injury — which means that Kobe and his sore finger (http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=4817638) will have to shoulder more of the load. Kobe is never going to shy away from responsibility — that’s what makes him so great — but I wonder if not having the chance to give his finger some rest will haunt the Lakers come playoff time.

Needless to say, it should be a good one down in the Alamodome. These two teams dominated the past decade in the NBA. Between Bryant and Duncan (http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/david_aldridge/12/21/morning.tip/index.html) they’ve won seven rings in ten years. But these guys aren’t finished yet. Who will be the first to win a championship in the next decade?

[TheManFromAcme]

Question of the Week (http://mikefratello.com/)
Mike Fratello

Kobe Bryant pays fellow four-time NBA champion Tim Duncan a visit tonight. Both teams need the game (http://www.nba.com/games/20100112/LALSAS/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp0020900556): San Antonio has moved up in the standings the last two weeks, but they are just 3-11 against teams with a winning record. The Spurs need to prove they can beat the best teams in the league — perhaps Finley and Bonner will return to lend a timely hand.

The Lakers have hit a little rough patch and could use a big win to get moving in the right direction again. However Artest isn’t one hundred percent yet and Gasol remains day-to-day with the hamstring injury — which means that Kobe and his sore finger (http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=4817638) will have to shoulder more of the load. Kobe is never going to shy away from responsibility — that’s what makes him so great — but I wonder if not having the chance to give his finger some rest will haunt the Lakers come playoff time.

Needless to say, it should be a good one down in the Alamodome. These two teams dominated the past decade in the NBA. Between Bryant and Duncan (http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/david_aldridge/12/21/morning.tip/index.html) they’ve won seven rings in ten years. But these guys aren’t finished yet. Who will be the first to win a championship in the next decade?

Huh? Alamodome?

I must have taken a real, real looooong nap.:lol

[lefty]

I have the feeling we are gonna lose to the Gasol-less Lakers because Pop will go CIA

Fuck

[TheManFromAcme]

I have the feeling we are gonna lose to the Gasol-less Lakers because Pop will go CIA

Fuck

Don't know lefty. This is going to be good. I like your chances to honest with you.

[Muser]

If Pop goes back to small ball then we're fucked, if not we have a good chance.

[duncan228]

Lakers Set for Spurs in San Antonio (http://my.lakers.com/blogs/2010/01/12/lakers-set-for-spurs-in-san-antonio/)
by Mike Trudell

During the offseason following L.A.’s 2009 NBA title, San Antonio added veterans Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess and drafted effective rookie big man DeJuan Blair, moves at least in some part intended to better match the length of the Lakers.

With Manu Ginobili coming into the season healthy, and Tony Parker and Tim Duncan still sporting silver and black, most expected the Spurs to be among the Lakers’ toughest road blocks to a potential championship repeat.

If it were possible, the Spurs slid off the league-wide radar a bit after a 9-9 start, but are back on it after winning 13-of-17 games on the back of Tim Duncan, who’s averaging 20.0 points and 10.4 rebound as one of the NBA’s three 20-10 players.

“I think they’re playing probably the best ball they’ve played all year,” said Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. “Maybe they were disappointed with their Dallas loss last week, but they’ve been playing well enough to sit right in there. After a slow start, they have come back.”

The Dallas loss is indicative of the fact that the Spurs have had trouble beating good teams, going only 4-12 against teams at or above .500, and beating up on the weaker sub .500 teams to an 18-2 extent. Yet the principals for what made them successful throughout the decade remain.

“They’re a good defensive team, (and) they always stay in ball games defensively,” said Jackson. “They have three-point shooting concept in their offense; you have to be able to cover the penetration of Parker and still be able to recover to three-point shooters in the corner.”

Meanwhile, the Lakers aren’t exactly the Lakers, not without All Star Pau Gasol still on the shelf with a left hamstring strain (L.A. is 10-5 without him), Finals MVP Kobe Bryant nursing a fractured finger and Ron Artest still recovering from a concussion.

Of course, you won’t hear any excuses out of Jackson or Bryant in particular, who - as always - expect a fully competent effort out of the purple and gold.

*********************

Injury Update: Kobe’s Finger (http://my.lakers.com/blogs/2010/01/10/injury-update-kobes-finger/)
by Mike Trudell

Kobe Bryant made just 1-of-14 shots in the first half and 4-of-21 for the game in L.A.’s 95-77 win over Milwaukee, struggling to hit from the field for the fourth consecutive contest (33 percent combined).

The difference in that first half was that Bryant was attempting to play without a splint on his right index finger, on which he suffered an avulsion fracture earlier in the season that he said he aggravated against Sacramento (he also appeared to take a swipe to the finger against Houston on Tuesday evening).

Bryant explained after the contest that playing without the splint afforded him increased range of motion, but made his finger too weak to support his shooting stroke.

“It’s just not strong enough,” he said of the finger, which will of course not keep him out of any game action.

Phil Jackson blamed Bryant’s finger almost exclusively for his shooting struggles:


He has been fiddling around with his “prosthetic” for his broken finger. He went from hard to semi-hard protective plate that was in there and made from lead that was conformed to nothing at all now. It is noticeable in his shooting and he knows it so I think he is going to go back to what worked before.

In short, the splint will go back on until Bryant feels strong enough to shoot without it.