Main things I take away from the game...

[guzmangm]

The problem with not getting enough rebounds is it takes away our fastbreak game, which is larger now than it has been. Even though the lakers defended the three very well, I don't think the Spurs would continue to shoot that bad; three or two. Obviously the Lakers played out of their minds and just a little bit more effort on the Spurs part would make a big difference.

[TampaDude]

Actually, I take back part of what I said earlier. I do take something away from this game and that is, this fan base, as a whole, is pathetic. Four time champions, two times they've defeated the Lakers in the playoffs (should have been three), three straight times they've beaten them in the regular season entering today, twenty-two game home winning streak, eight fewer losses than the Lakers entering today, 3-5 game lead on the entire league for much of the season. Yet despite all that, all it took was one lopsided loss for you idiots to revert to your usual "we can't beat this team, we're the little team that can't" act.

When are you clowns going to show some backbone and stop acting like this franchise is the Mavs or some other non-championship winning franchise? Speaking of the Mavs, their fans have more confidence in their team and carry themselves with more swagger and did I mention that they've never won a championship? You wonder why Lakers fans act like arrogant pricks and treat you like you're their ? Because you enable them. You play into this whole "small town, small team, can't compete with the big boys" crap, with your defeatist at ude.

Exactly...sure, it sucks to lose a game, especially at home, but it was only one damn game...we're still #1 in the NBA, so everybody please step back from the ledge.

[mingus]

Afterthe Spurs first win against LA this season, i posted countless times that LA played stupid basketball by not going inside-out and that the win was majorly a product of that. Too many unrealistic posters were quick to praise and crown the Spurs after that game.

I'll even admit that I budged from the notion for a while there that the Spurs wouldn't need to use size to counter their size. Yesterday's game showed that the Spurs need Splitter in a greater capacity against LA. , he might not even be enough, but I hope to see Pop aggressively try and integrate him these last 20 games.

I'm not saying that the Laker's are better than the Spurs by 30 points either. That was just a of a game by LA, one in which they wanted to send a message. The Spurs also typically play uncharacteristically horrible in afternoon games and ultimately approached the game too confidently. The overconfidence thing has a lot to do with the Miami whooping and the insanely good record. The Spurs have pretty much had their way with the league this year, and they approached yesterday's game that way. Obviously it backfired.

[SenorSpur]

For those that continue to delude themselves and others that the Spurs, along with most NBA opponents, are at a matchup disadvantage versus the Fakers, I offer Tim Griffin's takes on this game:

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...purs-starters/

Here are a few other notes and tidbits from the end of the Spurs’ 22-game home winning streak and their worst defeat at home in more than two season.

•The Lakers’ length seemed to discombobulate Duncan — again. He matched his season low of two points scored earlier this season against the Lakers on Dec. 28. Duncan’s 1-for-7 shooting game Sunday matched his worst effort, also in that Laker game. And in a statistic that is sure to concern Spurs Nation before a potential playoff series against the defending World Champions — Duncan is averaging 4.0 points per game against the Lakers this season, hitting a frigid 19.2 percent from the field (5-for-26). Those statistics are by far his worst against any other team this season.

•Bonner struggled with the Lakers’ length as he scored only three points on 1-for-3 3-pointers and 1-for-5 from the field. It turned around a recent streak where Bonner had averaged 15.5 points and hit 69.2 percent of his 3-pointers in his last two games.

•Tiago Splitter is showing some defensive growth and also contributing in spurts offensively. Since coming back to the roster last week, he’s averaging 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.

•Antonio McDyess had difficulty matching his success beating the Lakers earlier this season with four points and four rebounds in 10:04. It was his least playing time since notching 8:24 against Washington on Dec. 26.

For the record, I agree with the OP. Pop is likely going to be forced to have to utilize Tiago in this matchup - whether he likes it or not. With Duncan struggling and in decline, with the obvious limitations of both Blair and Bonner, Pop is left with very little choice. However if Duncan continues to struggle against those bigs, the Spurs chances of beating the Fakers drop exponentially.

It should be pointed out that the Fakers displayed a masterful defensive game plan by deliberately running the Spurs shooters off the 3-pt line, thereby forcing them to drive the ball. For some of the Spurs shooters, this is not one of their strengths. Now, it's up to Pop to counter. That's the game of NBA chess.

That said, let's get some perspective here. The Fakers aren't 30 points better than the Spurs, just like the Spurs aren't 30 points better than the Heat. Also, just because someone posts critical comments about the Spurs, after a very disappointing loss, doesn't mean that they are any less of a fan than the pollyanna contingent, who consistently proclaim "pay no attention to what you see. Everything is fine" and "Spurs are still the best team in the NBA." Pop was dead on when he and others kept reminded the NBA community that the Fakers "are still the team to beat - until someone knocks them off." No big mystery there.

Furthermore, such a revelation from posters, media members or even coaches has nothing to do with a lack of acknowledgement for the Spurs past championships, a lack of appreciation for their legacy or even jumping off the bandwagon. We all know this is a year-to-year business. We exist in the here and now. Reflections are for the summer and for the post-Duncan era. Does anyone really think that our Big Three is sitting on the end of the bench, during that blowout loss and thinking to themselves, "well, at least we've got 4 les in the bag"? GMAFB!

No one wants to win it more badly than Pop and his players, and if even he acknowledges the size superiority factor, who the is anyone on this board to discount it? For anyone to pretend that the advantage is somehow not there, or insignificant or even to get defensive at the mere suggestion, is just stupid.

It wasn't that long ago that the Spurs also boasted their own version of the Twin Towers frontine, and we all saw how wildly successful that was. Is it not possible to admit that another team has somehow also found the key to the magic forumla? It's a proven formula, as the Fakers have back-to-back les to show for it. It's also a formula that is very hard to assemble and even harder to counter. It can't be countered with speed, quickness and perimeter shooting - at least not in the playoffs.

The fact remains that of the four top contending teams (Fakers, Celtics, Mavs, Spurs), the Spurs have the smallest frontline, across the board. Regardless of the point total of yesterday's game, there is no denying the fact that when the Fakers are healthy and "dialed in", they present a very formidable challenge for almost every team -including the Spurs - mainly because of that matchup disadvantage on the frontline. That's just the way it is. It's been that way since the 2008 Gasol trade. The matchups are what they are. The bottom line is either the Spurs will be successful this spring or they wont. If they're not, chances are the matchup disparity on the frontline, that currently favors the Fakers, will have much to do with that.

[John Basedow]

So for those thinking the Lakers provide a matchup disadvantage, you offer an article written by a Spurs Nation blogger to assuage their fears?