The San Antonio Spurs, the leading team in the NBA this year, suffered a 99-83 loss to the LA Lakers this past Sunday, ending their impressive home streak.
The Spurs still hold their top position though, with the division-leading Lakers trailing over six games behind in the Western Conference.
Kobe Bryant Pumped for Rest of Season
Kobe Bryant led the winning team with 26 points, while Pau Gasol scored 21. The Spurs’ Tony Parker was the only one to score a double digit number of 14.
“We’re playing well and it’s kind of important to keep that going,” Bryant said. “Today was a good test to see how much we’ve improved since the All-Star break. We passed today.”
“There Was No Game”
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said it “was an easy win for them. There was no game.” The Spurs shot only 36% from the field and all the starters combined scored a mere 29 points. “Nobody expects to be losing more than twenty in the first quarter. They were making every shot, and they played more angry. We were waiting to see what was going to happen, and they came to get it.”
Jackson Benches His Benchwarmers
Towards the end of the game, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson pulled his reserves out and sent his starters back on to the court. “I didn’t like the way our bench was playing. They just didn’t have a rhythm out there and they were settling for outside shots. They were just out of focus a bit,” he said. “They understand. It got under twenty points and the foul situation was in their favor. You just have to be careful in this game. It’s a game of extremes.”
