Spurs vs Lakers Previews

[duncan228]

Game is Sunday, 2:30 CST on ABC.


Standing in Lakers' way? The Spurs (http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/columns/story?id=6184873)
The Lakers' ultimate test -- again -- will be their ability to beat the Spurs
By Dave McMenamin
ESPNLosAngeles.com

When the Lakers go to San Antonio to play the Spurs in their Sunday matinee, it figures to be a dress rehearsal for a marquee playoff matchup.

Because if the Lakers are going to make it to the Finals for the fourth straight year, you have to figure that the Spurs will be there standing in their way.

For all of the attention paid to the Lakers' three-peat bid, the Heat's budding Big Three, the Celtics' last hurrah, the Magic's search to surround Superman with help, the Knicks landing Carmelo Anthony and the Bulls' blossoming Derrick Rose; this has been the Spurs' year.

San Antonio's season has been a microcosm of the remarkable consistency the franchise has shown in the last decade and a half since Tim Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich formed their bond. The Spurs have three winning streaks of eight games or longer this season, while losing consecutive games just once (a two-game losing streak on the road in New York and Boston in early January). They have the best record in the league at 51-11, the best home record at 29-2 and the second-best road record at 22-9.

Once the Spurs seized the baton as having the best record in the West, they've continued to pump their arms and legs without looking over their shoulders at the Lakers trailing behind them. They lead L.A. by 7.5 games with only 20 games to play.

The Spurs do not seem susceptible to an early-round upset, meaning they'll ride that No. 1 seed in the West all the way to home-court advantage in the conference finals, where the Lakers would have to unseat them.

The Spurs have long been a measuring stick for the Lakers to size up against. Since the start of the 1998-99 season the Lakers and Spurs have played 77 games against each another, regular season and playoffs combined, and the series stands 39-38 in favor of San Antonio.

Despite the close connectivity of the two teams, they've played only one playoff series against one another in the last three years. The Kobe Bryant-Pau Gasol edition of the Lakers made their first Finals together by beating San Antonio in the 2008 Western Conference finals 4-1.

It was a strange series that saw L.A. win Game 2 by 30 and lose Game 3 by 19. All the while Manu Ginobili was playing on an ankle in such bad shape that Sasha Vujacic was getting credit for shutting the Argentinean down with his defense.

Barring any major injury to either team, this should be the year when the Lakers-Spurs rivalry gets the classic playoff series to define it. Bryant and Duncan are in the dusks of their storied, MVP-laden careers. Phil Jackson is in his last stand and Popovich has been his one contemporary who can claim to be in the same realm when it comes to sustained excellence in the regular season followed by multiple championships. The rest of their rosters are balanced and deep, equipped to handle another title run.

"It's a good chance of it," Shannon Brown said of a potential Alamo-Hollywood showdown in the postseason. "We can't continue to give them confidence to know that they can come out and they can play with us and they can beat us. When we go in there Sunday it's going to be a dogfight."

Keep reading... (http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/columns/story?id=6184873)

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/columns/story?id=6184873

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Fisher expected to play for Lakers at Spurs (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lakersinjuries)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher is expected to play Sunday against San Antonio despite a sprained left elbow.

Fisher was injured in a tussle for a rebound with Kwame Brown during the Lakers’ win over Charlotte on Friday night. The five-time NBA champion point guard has played in 476 consecutive regular-season games, the NBA’s longest active streak.

Fisher got treatment on his elbow Saturday, and the Lakers announced he was probable Sunday for the game at NBA-leading San Antonio.

Lakers forward Matt Barnes is less likely to play after irritating a nerve in his injured right leg during pregame warmups. Friday’s game was supposed to be Barnes’ comeback from a 25-game absence following right knee surgery. Barnes will be re-evaluated Sunday.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lakersinjuries

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Can the Lakers catch up to Dallas or San Antonio in the Western Conference standings? (http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2011/03/can-the-lakers-catch-up-dallas-or-san-antonio-in-the-west.html?cid=6a00d8341c506253ef014e5fa9351d970c)
Mark Medina
Round the Clock Purple and Gold Lakers Blog
LA Times

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2011/03/can-the-lakers-catch-up-dallas-or-san-antonio-in-the-west.html?cid=6a00d8341c506253ef014e5fa9351d970c

[TE]

Will be a good game and measuring stick for both teams.

[Tp9gospursgo]

Should be a good one.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

Splendid article. Enjoyable read.

[++SaiNt TiAg0++]

this is the game i will come out and defend the rim with impunity, and hopefully win pops corazon

[Strategic]

I think the Lakers have been drinking to much of the Cal water. As long as the Spurs play within themselves and Parker is able to get inside, it's a landslide in favor of the Silver and Black. Spurs by 16!!!!!



:lobt2::wakeup:flag::whine:lobt2:

[++SaiNt TiAg0++]

by they way this is my coming out post and will contribute to the site id rather contribute on the court but pops playing head games with me right now

[m33p0]

ahh yes. thanks, 228. been waiting for something to read.

[m33p0]

by they way this is my coming out post and will contribute to the site id rather contribute on the court but pops playing head games with me right now

anything else you'd like to... ehem.. disclose?

[++SaiNt TiAg0++]

anything else you'd like to... ehem.. disclose?

mmm nope thats it ...... if anyone needs help w/ anything let me know :toast

[silverblk mystix]

The Spurs have long been a measuring stick for the Lakers to size up against. Since the start of the 1998-99 season the Lakers and Spurs have played 77 games against each another, regular season and playoffs combined, and the series stands 39-38 in favor of San Antonio.



...interesting...

This will be the 4th beatdown in a row for the spurs over the lakers...


FTL!

[timtonymanu]

FTL!

I can't wait for this game. Spurs will bring it.

[duncan228]

LA Lakers (44-19) at San Antonio (51-11) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2011030624)
Tipoff: 3:30 pm EST Sun Mar 6, 2011
TV: ABC
By Jeff Bartl

So much is going well for the San Antonio Spurs that their star point guard decided to ignore his doctor’s advice - and he was right to do so.

The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been as lucky in recent matchups with their Western Conference rival.

San Antonio looks to extend its franchise-record 22-game home winning streak Sunday afternoon when it hosts Los Angeles, winner of six straight.

Tony Parker was expected to be sidelined as long as a month with a strained calf muscle but wound up missing two games. He made his surprise return Friday, scoring 15 points as San Antonio (51-11) routed Miami 125-95.

“I disagreed,” Parker said. “I was telling my doctor, I don’t need a week.”

Parker sparked a shooting performance never previously seen in Spurs history. They hit a franchise-record 17 3-pointers, including a 6-of-7 effort from Matt Bonner. Eight of those 3-pointers came in the first quarter, when San Antonio outscored Miami 36-12.

Manu Ginobili hit three 3s and scored 20 points to lead eight Spurs in double figures.

“That’s a ridiculous night as far as 3s go,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “It’s very rare. We had it (Friday) and we’re thankful for it. It made for a wonderful night.”

The victory improved San Antonio to an NBA-best 29-2 at home. The Spurs have won 22 straight at AT&T Center since a Nov. 26 defeat against Dallas.

They’ve also defeated the Lakers three consecutive times, including once on each team’s home floor this season. Parker scored 23 points in a 97-82 home Dec. 28, and had 21 in an 89-88 thriller at Staples Center on Feb. 3, when Antonio McDyess tipped in Tim Duncan’s miss as time expired.

Los Angeles (44-19) has won 10 of 13 since that defeat, including a 92-84 home victory Friday against Charlotte. The Lakers got a scare when Derek Fisher left in the second quarter and didn’t return because of a sprained left elbow. However, the NBA’s active leader with 476 consecutive games played is expected to be back in the lineup Sunday.

“We’re playing much more aggressive basketball,” said Kobe Bryant, who led Los Angeles on Friday with 27 points. “We’re attacking. We’re getting after it at both ends. That’s a big difference.”

Coach Phil Jackson disagreed, saying Friday’s performance against the Bobcats won’t be enough against the NBA-best Spurs.

“I didn’t like any part of the game (Friday), none of it,” Jackson said. “We weren’t fluid, didn’t move the ball well. … If we play Sunday like we did (Friday), we’re not going to be in the contest.”

The Lakers have scored fewer than 90 points in each game of their skid against the Spurs, with Bryant shooting 30.4 percent and averaging 19.7 points in the three defeats.

Parker has averaged 22.2 points over his last five games against the Lakers, but Duncan has 10 total points in the two meetings this season.

The Lakers have won three straight road games, but this contest begins a daunting four-game trip over seven days. Los Angeles will also travel to Atlanta, Miami and Dallas - each of the four opponents on the trip owns one of the league’s 10 best records. Only Atlanta (.597) sports a winning percentage below .694.

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Team Stat Leaders

Points
Kobe Bryant LAL 25.1
Manu Ginobili SA 18.0

Rebounds
Pau Gasol LAL 10.5
Tim Duncan SA 9.1

Assists
Kobe Bryant LAL 4.8
Tony Parker SA 6.6

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2011030624

[Thompson]

mmm nope thats it ...... if anyone needs help w/ anything let me know :toast

I'm curious, why did you go with ++SaiNt TiAg0++?

Was Saint Tiago taken? Saint_Tiago, +Saint Tiago+, etc.?

[PublicOption]

can someone get the word out that this is an early game.....and please get their asses out to the ATT center so that is a full capacity at game time.......sheesh.

[duncan228]

Spurs still consider Lakers the standard (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/03/05/spurs-still-consider-lakers-the-standard/)
Jeff McDonald

A month later, the events surrounding Antonio McDyess’ biggest basket of the season have blended into a blur.

He remembers little of the specifics. Not the ball going up. Not his hand reaching out. Not the sound of the final horn.

T he one thing McDyess remembers most from the buzzer-beating tip-in that gave the Spurs an 89-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 3 at the Staples Center is something he caught later on a televised replay.

“I saw Pop smile,” McDyess said, referring to his poker-faced head coach, Gregg Popovich. “It was a good feeling for everyone. Seeing Pop smiling made it even better.”

It was a rare slip in the façade for Popovich, who typically remains as stoic after wins as after losses. In the time since, Popovich’s smile has faded from view, if not completely from memory.

When the Lakers visit the AT&T Center today for the rematch, they will find a Spurs team very much down to business.

Keep reading... (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/03/05/spurs-still-consider-lakers-the-standard/)

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/03/05/spurs-still-consider-lakers-the-standard/

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Sunday: Lakers (44-19) at Spurs (51-11) (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/03/05/sunday-lakers-44-19-at-spurs-51-11/)
Jeff McDonald

...With victory, Spurs can even all-time series with Lakers at 71-71. … After 6-for-7 night vs. Heat, Bonner has made league-leading 51.3 percent of 3-point tries. Franchise record for full season is 47.2 percent, set by Steve Smith in 2001-02...

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/03/05/sunday-lakers-44-19-at-spurs-51-11/

[Rummpd]

Tommorow Duncan explodes on the LAL.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I've got 15 lbs of crawfish and a 12 pack of tecate longnecks ready for the game...

[Strategic]

can someone get the word out that this is an early game.....and please get their asses out to the ATT center so that is a full capacity at game time.......sheesh.If I could have found some reasonably priced tickets I would happily take my blushing bride.




:greedy :flag::flag::married:

[duncan228]

Lakers start challenging trip vs. red-hot Spurs (http://www.ocregister.com/sports/play-290918-lakers-trip.html)
Janis Carr
The Orange County Register

The Lakers begin a tough four-game trip Sunday against the Spurs in San Antonio. It is a journey that will test whether the Lakers' six-game winning streak means they definitely have left their pre-all-Star problems behind.

After San Antonio comes stops in Atlanta (Tuesday), Miami (Thursday) and Dallas (Saturday).

"There's not a whole lot we can do except play the games," Coach Phil Jackson said about his team's chances of improving its playoff seeding this week. "This trip really is like a make-or-break point of the season for us. So if play really well on this road trip, we would have a chance to do something.

"If we don't, we'll have to settle in and assume that we are fighting for second and third place, hopefully."

Jackson had one more warning for his team: You have to improve on offense.

The Lakers shot just 38.2 percent in their 92-84 victory against Charlotte on Friday at Staples Center and lacked good ball movement and good shot selection. These are things Jackson said, that would would doom the Lakers against the Western Conference-leading Spurs, who are shooting 47.4 percent from the field.

"If we play Sunday like we did (Friday), you know, we're not going to be in the contest, there's no doubt about that," he said. "They shoot the ball too well for that."

Lamar Odom doesn't seem to sense any urgency as the Lakers head into their last tough trip of the season. He said it doesn't matter who they play as long as they focus.

"No matter who we're playing against — teams at the top, teams at the bottom — we're just gong to go out there and play our 'A' game, play D (defense), talk .... and walk away with the win," he said.

"We're going to go out there and just compete at a high level (and) have fun."

UPDATES ON FISHER, BARNES

Derek Fisher and Matt Barnes both practiced Saturday, both received treatment for their injuries and both got upbeat news before the team headed to San Antonio.

Fisher, who suffered a sprained left elbow in Friday’s victory against Charlotte, is listed status as probable for Sunday’s game against the Spurs, while Barnes is listed as day-to-day.

Barnes has been out since suffering a torn lateral meniscus Jan. 7. He had surgery four days later. The forward was scheduled to make his return Friday, but he irritated his knee in pregame warm-ups and sat out his 26th game.

“It was very frustrating. I was so excited to play,” Barnes said. “I went out there and tried to get it going during warm-ups, but it just didn’t feel right. So better safe than sorry.”

Barnes said he felt pain after stretching, not any activity.

“I didn’t know what it was. I thought maybe I could have torn some cartilage or something weird like that,” he said. “But the doctors came in and checked it out and said it was a nerve.”

http://www.ocregister.com/sports/play-290918-lakers-trip.html

[Budkin]

This game will be nothing like the game against the Heat. It will be close all the way and I think the Spurs will pull out the win.

[duncan228]

Assessing the Spurs/Lakers rivalry with Land O’Lakers (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/assessing-the-spurslakers-rivalry-with-land-olakers)
by Timothy Varner
48 Minutes of Hell

ESPN LA’s fantastic Land O’Lakers blog (http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/16727/lakers-vs-spurs-what-to-watch-podkast-with-48-minutes-of-hell), helmed by the inimitable Kamenetzky brothers, invited Andrew McNeill and myself on for a PodKast to discuss tomorrow’s Lakers at Spurs tilt. The PodKast is available at the link above, but the magical powers of transcription have produced readable texts to whet your audio appetites.

Keep reading... (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/assessing-the-spurslakers-rivalry-with-land-olakers)

[duncan228]

Spurs swear Lakers still best. (Honest) (http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/03/05/spurs-swear-lakers-still-best-honest/)
Fran Blinebury
NBA.com Hangtime Blog

SAN ANTONIO – They are 51-11, several lengths ahead of the field in the race for best record in the league, are coming off a 125-95 torching (http://www.nba.com/games/20110304/MIASAS/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp0021000923#notebook) of the heralded Miami Heat that could have had them arrested for arson and have already beaten Kobe & Co. twice already this season.

But you still won’t get the Spurs to say that anyone but the Lakers is the best team league. Especially with the two-time defending champions up next for a Sunday afternoon date at the AT&T Center.

“They have a great team, I must say,” said Antonio McDyess. “Every team we face is competition for us. You’ve got Dallas in the West, New Orleans, other teams. But they (Lakers) are the best team until you take their title away. I think we always look at it that way. When we step on the court with the guys who have won two championships in a row, until you take that title away, they are the best team.”

The last time the two teams met on Feb. 3, McDyess’s tip-in at the buzzer of a missed Tim Duncan jumper gave the Spurs an 89-88 win over L.A. at Staples Center.

“That’s by far one of the most memorable tip-ins I’ve ever had,” he said. “Especially playing against the Lakers, I’ve never had that opportunity to tip in a ball to win such a huge game for us. It’s definitely gonna be a memory.

“Right now, it’s pretty much a blur. When I tipped it in I didn’t really think that I really did it, that it counted. So I kinda hesitated to even celebrate for a second. But they didn’t blow a whistle and I remember going toward the center court and having the guys coming towards me. That was a great feeling at that point.”

It was not only a rare shot, but the play elicited the quite rare occasion of a smile from coach Gregg Popovich.

“I only saw it on replay,” McDyess said. “I never saw it in the moment. In the replay I saw him smile like ‘We did it.’ It was kinda good to see that.

“(He’s usually) mellow, angry-faced. From everyone it was a good feeling. Seeing Pop smiling was even better.”

But now Pop is back into his scowling, not-give-an-inch game mode and will barely acknowledge that his own club has reached 50 wins for an NBA-record-tying 12th season in a row while the Lakers have struggled often. Don’t try telling him that anyone but the Lakers is sitting atop the mountain.

“Sure. Sure. Yep. They’re defending NBA champions,” Popovich said. “They’ve won two in a row. It seems perfectly logical to me that at times their focus might not be 100 percent. But they’re a group with fantastic corporate knowledge. They know how difficult it is. Because they know that they also know what it will take down the stretch here and come playoff time.

“So I think they deserve the respect for that and until proven otherwise. That will convince me, when somebody beats them four out of seven (in the playoffs). Then I’ll believe they’re not the best team in the West.”

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/03/05/spurs-swear-lakers-still-best-honest/

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ProBasketball's thoughts on Blinebury's piece.

Spurs keep winning, keep saying Lakers are team to beat (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/05/spurs-keep-winning-keep-saying-lakers-are-team-to-beat/)
Kurt Helin

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/05/spurs-keep-winning-keep-saying-lakers-are-team-to-beat/

[Fireball]

It might not be a blowout, but considering this Spurs team has not lost at home since November and TP is ready to go, this has W written all over it ... looking forward to a game which I can watch without having to get out of bed in the middle of the night ... and Chi vs. Mia is a nice appetizer ...

[Rick18]

7:30am start down here...and I can't wait. Interesting to see what happens with the shooting after the last start. Surely it's due to cool down a little bit.

[Doctor J]

7:30am start down here...and I can't wait. Interesting to see what happens with the shooting after the last start. Surely it's due to cool down a little bit.

Hey. you must be in Down Under, Australia.

So am I.

I've got to wake up early to get ready for this game.

Cheers!

[shelshor]

http://www.nba.com/news/referee.html
Referee Assignments
Sun. Mar. 6
L.A. Lakers @ San Antonio: Bennett Salvatore; Bennie Adams; Leroy Richardson

[TampaDude]

This game will be nothing like the game against the Heat. It will be close all the way and I think the Spurs will pull out the win.

^ this

[duncan228]

Advanced Scouting: Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-stats-advanced-scouting-los-angeles-lakers3-2)
by Scott Sereday
48 Minutes of Hell

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-stats-advanced-scouting-los-angeles-lakers3-2

[tdunk21]

close one.....

[tdunk21]

good reads 228

[duncan228]

Hit the link for the whole piece.


Time to see if the Lakers have figured out the Spurs puzzle (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/06/time-to-see-if-the-lakers-have-figured-out-the-spurs-puzzle/)
Kurt Helin

...Here are three things to watch:

• Do the Lakers run the triangle offense? The Lakers need to run their sets, start the ball inside and work cutters off Pau Gasol in the high post, they need to establish the paint. Not only because they score more efficiently that way, but also because that can help slow the Spurs fast break attack. With that, the Lakers need to attack the offensive glass with their length and make the Spurs pay a price for running. Watch how many offensive rebounds the Lakers get, it will be telling. On the other hand, if Kobe Bryant decides to go rogue and take over the offense early, it could be a bad sign for the Lakers.

• Ron Artest on Manu Ginobili. The Lakers defensive surge since the All-Star break has been about Andrew Bynum playing well in the paint and Ron Artest on the perimeter. Can he slow down Manu? See if he can keep Ginobili from getting into the middle — the Argentinian likes to drive middle no matter where he gets the ball on the court, if you can keep him on the wings he is less effective (but still pretty effective).

• Tony Parker and Derek Fisher. Tony Parker should just dominate this matchup, but to the extent that Fisher can pull tricks out of his veteran bag of tricks to not let Parker take over — if he can force him to drive to help and not knock down floaters in the lane — the better for the Lakers.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/06/time-to-see-if-the-lakers-have-figured-out-the-spurs-puzzle/

[duncan228]

Video: Tim Duncan talks about facing the Lakers.

http://www.woai.com/content/sports/spurs/default.aspx

[Rick18]

Hey. you must be in Down Under, Australia.

So am I.

I've got to wake up early to get ready for this game.

Cheers!

It's so early...I can barely see in front of me! :lol