Published: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 11:33 p.m. MST

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Two teams executed what they wanted to do this season better than any other — the Chicago Bulls on defense, the San Antonio Spurs on offense.

Yet, when the talk of a title came up it was always the Lakers out of the West, Miami and Boston in the East.

“I think we’ve been a pain in the ass for the press this year, we just get in the way of the conversation…” Gregg Popovich said before his team took on the Lakers.

The Spurs have always been fine with that. It’s not about flash, it’s about execution and belief in a system. That execution is half of what the Spurs need to win.

Sticking to the system that is their strength. It’s not the system itself — what the Spurs run is not better or worse than the Lakers triangle, or what is done in Boston, Chicago, or even Memphis and Philadelphia. What is different in San Antonio is the willingness to stick to that system and execute it properly every time down. They as a team commit to the system in a way other teams do not.

Talent matters — they need the Tim Duncans and the Manu Ginobilis and the Tony Parkers — but the Spurs made their leaps forward this season without a massive roster overhaul as some had called for. Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell explained it this way in an email to PBT.

What the Spurs didn’t do is blow up their team. They didn’t move Richard Jefferson, although they found a creative way of reducing his annual salary. They didn’t decide that trading away one of their Big 3 was their next ticket to contention. They made small, surgical changes that left the rest of the body intact and unharmed.

The beauty of this approach is that the Spurs out-execute most teams because their players, by and large, breathe the Spurs’ system. In San Antonio, this takes time. One full season, at least. Sometimes longer. By limiting their personnel turnover the Spurs set themselves up to… beat you with a bench that is not only talented, but one that clearly understands the nuances of Spurs basketball.

In the playoffs, the pressure is more intense — pressure from opposing defenses is tougher (especially as teams advance), pressure with the weight of the games increases. It becomes suffocating for some.

The Spurs, they just execute it. They know they can they dare you to match.

But the Spurs do not have the overwhelming talent of the Lakers, Celtics and Heat. That means their margin for error is smaller.

Which brings us to the second thing that has to happen for the Spurs — they can’t afford injuries. They need to stay fresh and healthy.

Already Manu Gimobili has a sprained elbow. That is not likely enough to cost them much against Memphis — the Grizzlies big men are their strength — but from the second round on they will need him at or near 100 percent.

“I think we can play with anybody,” Popovich said. “The question for us is if we can stay healthy and last against all these young, athletic deep teams.”

If they can, you know they can execute the Spurs system. Ii they do that they have a chance to beat anybody. And win another title.

That’s all for today.

Read More: Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs

The Memphis Grizzlies have never won an NBA playoff game. Their next chance will be Sunday at 1 p.m. on TNT, as the Grizzlies will visit the San Antonio Spurs for Game 1 of their first round 2011 NBA Playoffs series. The Grizzlies essentially picked the Spurs by tanking the final two games of the season against Portland and the Clippers; neither Zach Randolph or Tony Allen played in either game, and coach Lionel Hollins sat Mike Conley for the finale. That allowed the Grizzlies to avoid the Lakers. The Spurs are some prize, huh?

Here’s the full series schedule:

Game 1: Sun., April 17 in San Antonio, 1 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2: Wed., April 20 in San Antonio, 8:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3: Sat., April 23 in Memphis, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4: Mon., April 25 in Memphis, TBD
Game 5: Wed., April 27 in San Antonio, TBD
Game 6: Fri., April 29 in Memphis, TBD
Game 7: Sun., May 1 in San Antonio, TBD

Check out the full NBA playoff schedule.

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PHOENIX — The San Antonio Spurs lost a shot at home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and saw a grimacing Manu Ginobili leave the court in pain early in the game.

Not exactly a beautiful ending to a powerful regular season.

“Now,” coach Gregg Popovich said, “the fun starts.”

Despite the 106-103 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday night, the Spurs are the No. 1 seed in the West and early indications were that Ginobili’s hyperextended elbow wasn’t serious.

Popovich sat Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in a loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, but all three were in the starting lineup Wednesday.

“You can’t predict anything and there’s no reason to second guess and I don’t think any one of us are going to do that,” Duncan said. “Luckily, it’s not serious and hopefully he can be ready to go once the playoff starts. You cross your fingers, you hope for that, and you move on.”

The Spurs move on to a first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that seemed to want to face San Antonio.

“They sat their guys for the last three or four games,” Duncan said. “They’re trying to stay where they’re at. Obviously, they’ve chosen their matchup and want to stick with it.”

Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds to help the Suns avoid being swept in the four-game regular season series.

The Spurs, at 61-21, finished a game behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA.

Had San Antonio and the Bulls finished tied and faced each other in the NBA finals, home-court advantage would have been determined by a random drawing because all other tiebreakers were equal.

Ginobili went down with 9:46 left in the first quarter. The star guard slid to the floor near the San Antonio free throw line, then the Suns’ Grant Hill fell on top of him.

X-rays for a more serious injury were negative. An MRI was planned Thursday.

Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out the Spurs’ 102-93 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday but all three were in the starting lineup against Phoenix. Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Parker scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 25 minutes. Neither were on the court when the game ended.

“Tony’s been under the weather. He got 25 minutes so I thought that was about enough for him,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “We got Timmy about 30 so that was good. They needed to get a good run and they did so they could keep a rhythm. And then you like to win, but we didn’t and that’s the way it goes.”

Channing Frye and Jared Dudley scored 17 apiece for the Suns.

“We’ve kind of had our fans on the emotional roller coaster this year,” Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said, “where we played well and then we struggled then we played well.”

Phoenix failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three years after a surprise run to the Western Conference finals a year ago, which included a second-round sweep of San Antonio.

“It’s been a long year so to finish it off with a couple of victories was good,” the Suns’ Steve Nash said. “I think it was important for us too for our psyche. It’s a good feeling amidst a lot of disappointment.”

Nash, with one year left on his contract with Phoenix, said he has no desire to play elsewhere.

“This is my team,” he said.

The Suns shot out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter Wednesday night and the Spurs never could catch them.

After shooting 65 percent in the first 12 minutes (17 of 26), the Suns made 20 percent (5 of 25) in the second to lead 61-53 at the break.

San Antonio cut it to 66-63 on Parker’s short jumper three minutes into the second half, but an 11-1 Phoenix run made it 77-64 when Dudley made a pair of free throws with 5:01 to play in the period.

Down 85-74 after three, the Spurs came back to make it a free throw shootout down the stretch. Aaron Brooks sank two from the line to put Phoenix ahead 106-103 with 3.9 seconds to go. Gary Neal threw up an airball from the corner for San Antonio just before the buzzer.

NOTES: Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 13 points at age 38 or older. … Ginobili missed two games this season, only one because of injury: March 28 against Portland because of a bruised left quad. … Nash led the NBA in assists for the fifth time, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players to do so. … San Antonio had the best record in the West for the sixth time in franchise history – five of them with Duncan. … The Suns won 40 games for the seventh straight season.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

PHOENIX (AP)—The San Antonio Spurs lost a shot at home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and saw a grimacing Manu Ginobili(notes) leave the court in pain early in the game.

Not exactly a beautiful ending to a powerful regular season.

“Now,” coach Gregg Popovich said, “the fun starts.”

Despite the 106-103 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday night, the Spurs are the No. 1 seed in the West and early indications were that Ginobili’s hyperextended elbow wasn’t serious.

Popovich sat Ginobili, Tim Duncan(notes) and Tony Parker(notes) in a loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, but all three were in the starting lineup Wednesday.

“You can’t predict anything and there’s no reason to second guess and I don’t think any one of us are going to do that,” Duncan said. “Luckily, it’s not serious and hopefully he can be ready to go once the playoff starts. You cross your fingers, you hope for that, and you move on.”

The Spurs move on to a first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that seemed to want to face San Antonio.

“They sat their guys for the last three or four games,” Duncan said. “They’re trying to stay where they’re at. Obviously, they’ve chosen their matchup and want to stick with it.”

Marcin Gortat(notes) had 21 points and 13 rebounds to help the Suns avoid being swept in the four-game regular season series.

The Spurs, at 61-21, finished a game behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA.

Had San Antonio and the Bulls finished tied and faced each other in the NBA finals, home-court advantage would have been determined by a random drawing because all other tiebreakers were equal.

Ginobili went down with 9:46 left in the first quarter. The star guard slid to the floor near the San Antonio free throw line, then the Suns’ Grant Hill(notes) fell on top of him.

X-rays for a more serious injury were negative. An MRI was planned Thursday.

Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out the Spurs’ 102-93 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday but all three were in the starting lineup against Phoenix. Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Parker scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 25 minutes. Neither were on the court when the game ended.

“Tony’s been under the weather. He got 25 minutes so I thought that was about enough for him,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “We got Timmy about 30 so that was good. They needed to get a good run and they did so they could keep a rhythm. And then you like to win, but we didn’t and that’s the way it goes.”

Channing Frye(notes) and Jared Dudley(notes) scored 17 apiece for the Suns.

“We’ve kind of had our fans on the emotional roller coaster this year,” Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said, “where we played well and then we struggled then we played well.”

Phoenix failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three years after a surprise run to the Western Conference finals a year ago, which included a second-round sweep of San Antonio.

“It’s been a long year so to finish it off with a couple of victories was good,” the Suns’ Steve Nash(notes) said. “I think it was important for us too for our psyche. It’s a good feeling amidst a lot of disappointment.”

Nash, with one year left on his contract with Phoenix, said he has no desire to play elsewhere.

“This is my team,” he said.

The Suns shot out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter Wednesday night and the Spurs never could catch them.

After shooting 65 percent in the first 12 minutes (17 of 26), the Suns made 20 percent (5 of 25) in the second to lead 61-53 at the break.

San Antonio cut it to 66-63 on Parker’s short jumper three minutes into the second half, but an 11-1 Phoenix run made it 77-64 when Dudley made a pair of free throws with 5:01 to play in the period.

Down 85-74 after three, the Spurs came back to make it a free throw shootout down the stretch. Aaron Brooks(notes) sank two from the line to put Phoenix ahead 106-103 with 3.9 seconds to go. Gary Neal(notes) threw up an airball from the corner for San Antonio just before the buzzer.

NOTES: Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 13 points at age 38 or older. … Ginobili missed two games this season, only one because of injury: March 28 against Portland because of a bruised left quad. … Nash led the NBA in assists for the fifth time, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd(notes) as the only players to do so. … San Antonio had the best record in the West for the sixth time in franchise history—five of them with Duncan. … The Suns won 40 games for the seventh straight season.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

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Read More: Andrew Bynum (C – LAL), San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers, Apr 12, 2011 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Lakers managed to end their five-game losing streak by beating the San Antonio Spurs’ B-team 102-93 on Tuesday, setting up a wild final day of action. But there was a casualty in the action: Lakers center Andrew Bynum hyperextended his knee in the first half, and will have an MRI on Wednesday. He will not play in Sacramento Wednesday night, and could miss a game or more of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. That sound you heard was Lakers Nation’s collective gulp, followed by the collective curse words.

The game was actually tied at halftime as the Lakers looked as disinterested as the Spurs’ benched starters did. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Antonio McDyess all sat; as a result, Chris Quinn, Steve Novak, Danny Green and James Anderson all played more than 20 minutes. L.A., meanwhile, needed Kobe Bryant to play 37 minutes, and because of Bynum’s injury, Pau Gasol played 41 and Lamar Odom 36. Five-game losing streaks in April make rest impossible, you see.

L.A. needs to beat the Sacramento Kings in what could be that franchise’s final game in California’s capital in order to finish No. 2 in the West. Welcome back to the starting five, Lamar.

Thanks for reading! .

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrew Bynum awkwardly sprawled onto the court, staying down for an uncomfortably long moment. The 7-foot center then walked cautiously to the locker room with more than one teammate staring at his perpetually problematic knees.

The Los Angeles Lakers ended their five-game losing streak Tuesday night.

They’ll find out what it cost on Wednesday.

Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, but Bynum hyperextended his right knee in the two-time defending NBA champions’ 102-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs’ role players.

The Lakers’ hopes for a third straight title might have taken a significant blow when Bynum fell after stepping on DeJuan Blair’s foot during the second quarter. Los Angeles’ superb low-post defender will have an MRI on Wednesday while the Lakers wrap up the regular season at Sacramento.

Bynum downplayed the injury while walking comfortably out of Staples Center, and the Lakers are cautiously hoping for news that won’t derail their playoff run before it begins. Yet it’s tough not to assume the worst with Bynum and his rickety 23-year-old knees.

“There’s always concern,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who acknowledged Bynum could be out for at least a few games. “We’ve seen him go down a couple of times that have been debilitating, so there’s a concern. It was kind of a freaky play, but they usually are, and that’s what basketball is.”

Bryant describes the shot-blocking center as the Lakers’ most important defensive player, and his absence from the 2008 NBA finals was one reason Los Angeles lost to Boston before winning the next two championship series with Bynum in the middle. Bynum had surgery last summer to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

“He allows us to be the dominant team we’re capable of being,” said Derek Fisher, who scored 13 points. “It’s hard to think about not having him for any significant length of time. It was tough to see. He’s so important to what we do, so to even think for a second that he might be out, the impact that would have on him after all of his work, it’s tough to deal with in the moment.”

Lamar Odom scored 23 points as the Lakers struggled to hold off the Spurs, who rested stars Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker with the Western Conference’s top seed already wrapped up.

Pau Gasol had 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Lakers (56-25), who will get the No. 2 seed in the West with a win at Sacramento or a loss by Dallas (56-25).

Gary Neal scored 16 points and Matt Bonner had 13 for the Spurs, whose four-game winning streak ended.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn’t worry about falling into a tie with surging Chicago (61-20) for the NBA’s best overall record, yet his junior varsity nearly knocked off the discombobulated Lakers, who couldn’t breathe easily until Bryant’s 3-pointer put them up 96-88 with 2:55 to play.

“I think it showed the character, the heart that we have, and we’re a pretty deep team,” said George Hill, who scored 11 points. “We tried to give the best effort we could, and that’s all you can hope for. All of us thought we could win. That was our whole motive going into the game.”

The Lakers hadn’t won since April 1, falling apart after a sparkling 17-1 stretch. They still haven’t fixed the defensive execution issues that have plagued them this month — but if Bynum’s potential absence doesn’t get the champs’ attention, maybe it can’t be got.

“Hopefully he’ll be back soon, and we’ll get him back at 100 percent and just keep plugging away,” said Odom, who scored 21 points in the second half.

Bryant played with a short fuse and a scowl even before Bynum’s injury. He earned his 15th technical foul of the season for arguing in the third quarter, picking up a T in his third straight game and moving right to the brink of an NBA-mandated one-game suspension.

Bryant punctuated the tantrum by punching a chair on the bench. If he gets another technical foul in the season finale, the suspension would be for the first game of next season.

If the Spurs and Bulls finish with the same record, every tiebreaker is even, so a random drawing would determine who got homecourt advantage in the NBA finals — a nonexistent concern to Popovich, a four-time NBA champion.

Popovich plans to get Duncan back in the lineup Wednesday night in the season finale at Phoenix.

“It’s a back-to-back, and I’d rather play (Duncan) tomorrow and not have such a long time before the weekend,” Popovich said. “(The reserves) got some experience. I’m happy with what they did.”

The Spurs’ patchwork starting lineup included Neal, Hill and Tiago Splitter. The Lakers took an early 10-point lead but couldn’t hold it, giving up a 13-1 run and going into halftime tied at 45.

San Antonio took a lead on Danny Green’s jumper with 7:28 to play, but Odom’s three-point play put the Lakers right back ahead.

NOTES: The Lakers played without backup point guard Steve Blake, who will miss at least two games after contracting chicken pox, and reserve forward Matt Barnes, who rested his sore right knee. … Veteran C Theo Ratliff appeared in just his second game for the Lakers since Nov. 9, playing 2 minutes. He missed most of the season after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. … Fans near courtside included Dennis Haysbert and director Adam McKay.

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Read More: Gregg Popovich (H – SAN), Andrew Bynum (C – LAL), San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers

The San Antonio Spurs fell behind early on Tuesday night, but rallied back to tie the Los Angeles Lakers at the half, 45-45. Head coach Gregg Popovich is resting his starters against the Lakers, but that hasn’t stopped the Spurs from storming back after a sluggish start, outscoring Los Angeles 30-21 in the second quarter alone. Poppovich saw up-close and personal why it’s a good idea to rest the starters with the playoffs already locked up when Andrew Bynum went down with an apparent knee injury in the second quarter, putting his postseason status in doubt for the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant still leads all scorers with 16 points on 5-12 shooting. Pau Gasol added another 11 points as the two formed a dynamic duo in the first half. Derek Fisher has six points and three assists, as well.

It’s been all about balance for the Spurs as nine of the 10 players to log minutes have scored. George Hill finished with eight first half points in a starting role while Matt Bonner added eight points off the bench. DeJuan Blair and Richard Jefferson each had six points, with Steve Novak chipping in five.

For Spurs coverage, check out Pounding The Rock. For more on the Lakers, visit Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.

What are your opinions.

by Bob Young, The Heat Index – Apr. 12, 2011 08:59 PM
The Arizona Republic

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Read More: Matt Barnes (F – LAL), Richard Jefferson (F – SAN), Ron Artest (F – LAL), Derek Fisher (G – LAL), Steve Blake (G – LAL), Pau Gasol (F – LAL), Manu Ginobili (G – SAN), Tim Duncan (F – SAN), Tony Parker (G – SAN), Andrew Bynum (C – LAL), Kobe Bryant (G – LAL), Tiago Splitter (F – SAN), George Hill (G – SAN), DeJuan Blair (C – SAN), Gregg Popovich (H – SAN), Gary Neal (G – SAN), San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to snap their five-game losing streak Tuesday night at Staples Center, and they are receiving some help from the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Gregg Popovich is resting his stars Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili tonight. The Spurs have the top seed in the Western Conference locked up already.

The Lakers have a magic number of two to clinch the No. 2 seed in the West. The Lakers will be without Steve Blake, who has the chickenpox, and Matt Barnes, who has right knee soreness. Here are tonight’s starting lineups:

Spurs

Lakers

For more news and information on the Lakers, or on tonight’s game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.

What are your opinions.

By Tom Ziller – NBA Contributor

Read More: San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers, Apr 12, 2011 10:30 PM EDT

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Apr 12, 2011 - The Los Angeles Lakers have lost five straight games, and are at distinct risk of landing in the No. 3 or even No. 4 spot in the West bracket of the 2011 NBA Playoffs unless they can beat the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT). The Lakers trail the Dallas Mavericks by a half-game in the race for No. 2; if L.A. beat the Spurs and the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the champs will claim No. 2 and home court advantage until the conference finals.

That’s a distinct if, though, considering the five losses L.A. has suffered in the past week and change. If L.A. loses both remaining games — Wednesday’s tilt in Sacramento could be the final game that city ever sees, and is sold out — and Oklahoma City wins on Wednesday, the Lakers could find themselves opposing the Denver Nuggets in the first round and the Spurs in the second round. Denver is one of the teams that has vanquished the Lakers during this losing streak.

The Spurs lead the season series with L.A. 2-1, as the Lakers won in San Antonio last month. The Spurs could be playing for something of their own; they need at least one win to guarantee at least a chance for home court advantage in the NBA Finals against prospective opponent Chicago, and two wins to definitely guarantee it. Gregg Popovich hasn’t tipped his hand as to whether he’ll fight for that distinction, but it wouldn’t be a surprise either way.

For Spurs coverage, check out Pounding The Rock. For more on the Lakers, visit Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — When looking ahead to Tuesday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said that the Spurs have a much deeper team than the Lakers.

The bench disparity could be even bleaker for the Lakers after Steve Blake did not make it to shootaround on Tuesday because of an illness.

The team announced later Tuesday afternoon that Blake has chicken pox and would not play Tuesday; beyond that, he is out indefinitely.

Also, Matt Barnes has been added to the injury list with a sore right knee and a decision about his playing status would be made before the game.

Blake did not practice on Monday because of a fever. The back-up point guard is averaging four points and 2.2 assists in 20 minutes per game this season. Blake scored nine points and made all three of his 3-point attempts in his last game Sunday against Oklahoma City.

The Lakers have called up guard Trey Johnson from the D-League’s Bakersfield Jam and will work him out before considering signing him for the remainder of the season.

Johnson, who was one of the Lakers’ final two cuts in training camp, averaged 25.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds this season for the Jam and also averaged 4.0 points and 1.6 assists in seven games earlier in the season as a call-up with the Toronto Raptors.

Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Follow Dave McMenamin on Twitter: @mcten

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–The San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald wonders whether the Spurs will play with their full lineup Tuesday against the Lakers considering they have the No. 1 seed locked up. McDonald also mentioned Spurs forward Tim Duncan could use a good performance against the Lakers.

–The Daily News’ Elliott Teaford looks at the different playoff scenarios the Lakers might face.

–Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell also breaks down the team’s playoff picture.

–Fox Sports’ Billy Witz wonders what’s the next plot twist involving the Lakers. 

–Fox Sports West has a new Facebook app where you can vote for the top five Lakers of all time. 

–Forum Blue and Gold’s Darius Soriano mentions how the Lakers have been through similar struggles.

–Silver Screen and Roll’s C.A. Clark notices how Lakers opponents do well in crunch time. 

Tweet of the Day: “This Laker team takes me back to my ’88 team when we had to win 3 7 game series to win the championship. Get ready for a tough playoff run.” — MagicJohnson (Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson)

Rick Friedman Reader Comment of the Day:“OKC and Dallas both won tonight…GOOD! The Lakers don’t need any wiggle room to hold on to the #2 seed. They need to beat SA and Sactown to hold on. Might as well simulate a wee bit of playoff pressure. SA will have motivation to beat the Lakers to try to hold on to the best overall record. If SA lose to the Lakers and finish tied with the Bulls then Chicago would win the tie-breaker between them. They split the season series and would have the same record within their conference, but the Bulls have a better record vs. playoff teams in the east than SA have vs. playoff teams in the west. (Of course, none of this matters because SA ain’t getting to the finals!)” — LRob

–Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant comes up with a rebound in front of Spurs guard George Hill in a game in March at San Antonio. Credit: Larry W. Smith / EPA / March 6, 2011

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The Associated Press

Posted: Apr 12, 2011 9:38 AM ET

Last Updated: Apr 12, 2011 10:18 AM ET

 

Shannon Brown (12) of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket in a 99-83 road victory over the Spurs on March 6. (D. Clarke Evans/Getty Images)

When the Los Angeles Lakers picked up their ninth straight win on the first day of April, it was becoming apparent they — and not the reeling San Antonio Spurs — had emerged as Western Conference favorites.

Five consecutive losses later, that’s a title even Lakers head coach Phil Jackson can’t endorse.

The Lakers look to snap their longest losing streak in four years Tuesday night against the visiting Spurs, who will try for a fifth straight win that would put them a step closer to ensuring home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

San Antonio (61-19) has had the West’s best record all season, but from the all-star break through April 1, Los Angeles had played like the conference’s top team.

The Lakers won 17 of 18, including a 99-83 road rout of the Spurs, to pull to within 1½ games of San Antonio for the West’s No. 1 seed, but five straight defeats have erased that possibility. After Sunday’s 120-106 home loss to Oklahoma City, Los Angeles could now finish as low as fourth.

“The measure of success is what you’ve just recently accomplished, it’s not what’s been accomplished in the past or what we did post all-star break,” Jackson said. “So, for right now, we’re back into the middle of the pack playing basketball.”

The Lakers (55-25) haven’t lost this many in a row since a seven-game skid March 2-15, 2007. Perhaps more importantly, though, they’ve had a total of two three-game slides in their five championship seasons since Kobe Bryant’s been in Los Angeles. They’ve had four alone in 2010-11.

“I think we started to actually look ahead and look above as opposed to just kind of staying in the present,” Lakers guard Derek Fisher said. “We lost that step and it’s tough to get it back when you’re playing against professionals. We’ll go back to work and get ready to try and win a game on Tuesday night.”

Bryant admonished the Lakers for playing “horrible defense” after Sunday’s loss, but they’ve been excellent on that end against the Spurs despite losing two of three. They’ve held San Antonio to 39.9 per cent shooting, though they’ve shot just 41.7 per cent themselves.

Tony Parker has averaged 19.3 points in the series, but Los Angeles has done an outstanding job against Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan. Ginobili’s been held to 9.7 points per game while shooting 28.2 per cent and Duncan has totalled 12 points and missed 21 of 26 shots in the three games while dealing with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

While the Lakers are struggling, San Antonio has bounced back from six consecutive losses with four victories. It’s shot a combined 59.2 per cent in the last two, with Richard Jefferson’s 20 points leading six double-figure scorers in a 111-102 win over Utah on Saturday.

Two more victories would guarantee the Spurs home-court advantage throughout the post-season, though if they lose once and Chicago wins out, it’ll come down to a random draw.

Still, San Antonio seems as concerned with staying healthy as the league’s best record.

“We’ve played this well all season long. We’d love to finish at the top of the NBA,” Duncan. “We’re going to try to do the best of managing minutes, winning games and all that stuff … at the same time, so we’ll see what happens.”

The Spurs have been sharing the ball lately, averaging 24.3 assists in the four straight wins — 6.3 more than during the six-game skid.

When San Antonio has at least 22 assists, it’s 42-1.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.