About the Spurs: After Sunday’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Spurs have won seven in a row, claiming four victories against teams — the Los Angeles Lakers (twice), Phoenix and Memphis — in the playoff hunt. … With Sunday’s win, the Spurs are 27-5 at home. The 27 home wins are the most in the Western Conference and the second most in the NBA behind the Miami Heat (28). … The Spurs played two sets of back-to-back-to-backs this season and were the only team in the league to sweep both sets. … The Spurs have won an NBA-best 11 consecutive games twice this season. … San Antonio has 11 players averaging at least 19 minutes per game this season.  

With another win Monday, the Spurs’ veterans can take the remainder of the regular season off.

Ginobili scored 20 points Sunday to lead San Antonio to its seventh straight victory, 114-98 over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

San Antonio (47-16) moved 1½ games ahead of Oklahoma City, which lost to the Lakers earlier Sunday, in the race for the best record in the Western Conference. A victory in any of their final three games would secure the top spot in the West for the Spurs, who own the tiebreaker over the Thunder.

Ginobili said the Spurs were keeping an eye on the Lakers’ double-overtime victory before their game. San Antonio hosts Portland on Monday.

“We want to clinch as soon as possible,” Ginobili said. “Tomorrow we have a good game here, so we’re going to trying to play our best and keep improving. We have room for improvement, where we can pick up the aggressiveness. We want to try and set the pace for the playoffs.”

Cleveland (21-42) lost for the fourth time in its last five games despite the Spurs giving Duncan the night off. With the playoffs right around the corner, the 35-year-old Duncan was the only active Spur not to play.

Stephen Jackson scored 17 points for the Spurs, DeJuan Blair added 15 points and seven rebounds, and Danny Green had 14 points. Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with 21 points, Kyrie Irving had 19, and Manny Harris added 14.

“I thought it was a relatively sloppy game, but we managed to keep our lead,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Sometimes in the NBA that’s hard to do. We stuck with it and got the win.”

Besides limiting Duncan’s minutes this season, Popovich has given his star forward six nights off to rest. Thanks to another easy victory, their other veterans didn’t play too much.

Ginobili and Parker each played just 22 minutes. The Spurs entered the game having won four straight games by at least 21 points. During that span, Ginobili has played 30 or more minutes only one time, and Parker has done so just twice.

“Any time we get a chance to rest Tim and Tony doesn’t play that much, and we get away with a win, that’s always a plus,” Jackson said. “As long as we take care of business and continue to build and not take steps back, we’ll be all right.”

Parker had six points and nine assists for the Spurs, who swept the season series.

“When you have three Hall of Famers on one team, it’s tough to beat them,” Irving said. “A lot of people are downplaying them just because their age is up there a little bit. But they’re still one of the best, if not the best, teams in all of basketball.”

One of those potential Hall of Famers, Ginobili, showed off his full arsenal of plays, hitting layups, runners and step-back jumpers. The veteran forward was hampered by injuries earlier this season, but he’s now looking like the Ginobili of old.

“For sure, I’m feeling better than a month ago,” Ginobili said. “That’s promising, and that makes me feel good and in a better mood.”

The Spurs led only 52-44 at halftime behind 11 points from Green, but the starting forward left the game in the second quarter after a flagrant foul by Harris. Green was hit in the left eye by Harris while going up for a layup with 5:35 left in the second quarter. Green stayed on the ground for several minutes before getting up to hit one of two free throws. He then left for the locker room for the rest of the quarter before returning for the second half.

Notes: Spurs F Boris Diaw started for Duncan and had six points on 3-of-7 shooting. . Scott ranked third-lowest in a poll of players when asked which coach they would most like to play for, finishing ahead of Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy and last-place Scott Skiles of Milwaukee. “The thing I know about both those guys is they’re pretty demanding guys,” Scott said. “So if that’s the case, and I’m put in that category as being a very demanding coach, I don’t mind that. You’ve got a lot of guys that want you to kiss their butts. I’m not doing that. That ain’t happening. And I’m not going to tell them all the time what they want to hear.” Popovich ranked third-highest.

Manu Ginobili scored 20 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to their seventh straight victory, 114-98 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

San Antonio (47-16) moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Oklahoma City, which lost to the Lakers earlier Sunday, in the race for the best record in the Western Conference. A victory over Portland on Monday would secure the top spot in the West for the Spurs, who own the tiebreaker over the Thunder.

Cleveland (21-42) lost for the fourth time in its last five games despite the Spurs giving Tim Duncan the night off. With the playoffs right around the corner, the 35-year-old Duncan was the only active Spur not to play.

Stephen Jackson scored 17 points for the Spurs, DeJuan Blair added 15 points and seven rebounds, and Danny Green had 14 points. Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with 21 points, Kyrie Irving had 19, and Manny Harris added 14.

Besides limiting Duncan’s minutes this season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has given his star forward six nights off to rest. Thanks to another easy victory, their other veterans didn’t play too much.

Ginobili and Tony Parker each played just 22 minutes. The Spurs entered the game having won four straight games by at least 21 points. During that span, Ginobili has played 30 or more minutes only one time, and Parker has done so just twice.

Parker had six points and nine assists for the Spurs, who swept the season series. San Antonio won at Cleveland 125-90 on April 3 in a performance that left Cavaliers coach Byron Scott wondering if his team had already thrown in the towel. Since then, the team has impressed Scott with its attitude despite going only 4-8.

“I think we’ve responded very well,” Scott said before the game. “We’ve been very competitive. The guys have been playing extremely hard the last week and a half of the season. It was pretty much after that game . ever since then, we’ve battled pretty hard”

The Spurs led only 52-44 at halftime behind 11 points from Green, but the starting forward left the game in the second quarter after a flagrant foul by Harris. Green was hit in the left eye by Harris while going up for a layup with 5:35 left in the second quarter. Green stayed on the ground for several minutes before getting up to hit one of two free throws. He then left for the locker room for the rest of the quarter before returning for the second half.

Matt Bonner was the only Spurs player to play and not score in the first half. San Antonio led by as many as 16 points in the second quarter before Cleveland went on a 12-2 run late in the quarter to narrow the deficit.

After Cleveland cut it to 91-81 early in the final quarter, San Antonio went on an 11-1 run to put away the game.

Notes: Spurs F Boris Diaw started for Duncan and had six points on 3-of-7 shooting. . Scott ranked third-lowest in a poll of players when asked which coach they would most like to play for, finishing ahead of Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy and last-place Scott Skiles of Milwaukee. “The thing I know about both those guys is they’re pretty demanding guys,” Scott said. “So if that’s the case, and I’m put in that category as being a very demanding coach, I don’t mind that. You’ve got a lot of guys that want you to kiss their butts. I’m not doing that. That ain’t happening. And I’m not going to tell them all the time what they want to hear.” Popovich ranked third-highest.

SAN ANTONIO, April 21 (UPI) — Tim Duncan had 21 points and eight rebounds Friday in pushing the San Antonio Spurs to a strong second half and a 121-97 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Spurs won their sixth straight and stayed in front of Oklahoma City in the fight for the best record in the Western Conference. The Lakers are first in the Pacific Division and third in the West, a half game in front of the Los Angeles Clippers.

San Antonio has been resting its key players in recent games but they were all on hand for the Lakers.

Tony Parker had 20 points and 10 assists while Manu Ginobili scored 20 points with six rebounds and seven assists. San Antonio’s top three scorers combined to make 24-of-41 shots from the field and the Spurs hit 61 percent as a team.

The Spurs had only a four-point halftime lead before taking charge over the final two periods.

Kobe Bryant, who had missed seven games in a row with a shin injury, led Los Angeles with 18 points in 30 minutes.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all scored at least 20 points to help the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers 121-97 on Friday night and spoil Kobe Bryant’s return.

Bryant had missed the previous seven games with a bruised left shin, and the Lakers went 5-2 without the NBA’s scoring leader. But with only two games left in the regular season for Los Angeles (40-24), Bryant returned as he aims to get into a rhythm before the playoffs begin.

Bryant wore a black sock over his lower left leg, with what appeared to be a shin guard protecting the injured area. He scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

The Spurs (46-16) stayed atop the Western Conference with their sixth straight victory while the Lakers missed a chance to clinch home court in the first round of the playoffs.

These teams could meet in the opening round, and judging by their latest meeting, it would be a mismatch.

San Antonio has given Los Angeles its two worst losses of the season the worst Friday night and 112-91 on Tuesday. Duncan had 21 points and eight rebounds, Parker had 20 points and 10 assists, and Ginobili added 20 points and seven assists.

San Antonio hit 47 of 77 shots from the field and broke the game open in the third quarter, when Bryant played his best. The Lakers’ star hit 5 of 6 shots in the quarter, directing his teammates on offense and yelling at them to “D-up” on defense.

It hardly mattered, though, as he was repeatedly on his heels on defense as the Spurs pushed the ball. San Antonio scored 18 points in the paint in the quarter to only two for Los Angeles.

While Bryant was sidelined, several Lakers increased their scoring, none more than Metta World Peace. World Peace more than doubled his scoring average with Bryant out of the lineup, but he had only 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting against the Spurs.

“We counted on all our guys (when Bryant was out),” Lakers coach Mike Brown said before the game. “I thought Metta stepped up . all our guys stepped up. Hopefully they just stay aggressive. I think we’ll be fine, but we’ll see how we blend or gel.”

Andrew Bynum scored 17 points for the Lakers, while Matt Barnes had 14 and Pau Gasol 11.

“I think Kobe knew that if he came back too early from this injury, it would set him back,” Brown said. “We didn’t want to have any setbacks this time of year. He’s been great the whole time.”

He certainly got off to a strong start, going down low on Kawhi Leonard for a short jumper and a foul on the Lakers’ first possession. Bryant hit the ensuing free throw, but he didn’t score again until he hit a 15-foot jumper with 34 seconds left in the quarter.

Notes: Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong sat courtside for the game. . The Spurs hit 10 of 15 3-pointers for a season-high 66.7 percent. . Lakers G Devin Ebanks, who started with Bryant out, played only 8 minutes and didn’t score. . Spurs C Tiago Splitter started and DeJuan Blair came off the bench against the tall Lakers’ frontline. Splitter is 6-foot-11, and Blair is 6-7. . With Magic C Dwight Howard possibly out for the Summer Olympics after electing to have back surgery, Bynum looks like a possible replacement. “It’s the same thing for any coach who has a player playing,” Brown said. “`Rest, rest, rest.’ You worry about the injuries, but at the end of the day, it’s a significant honor.”

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all scored at least 20 points to help the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers 121-97 on Friday night and spoil Kobe Bryant‘s return.

Bryant had missed the previous seven games with a bruised left shin, and the Lakers went 5-2 without the NBA’s scoring leader. But with only two games left in the regular season for Los Angeles (40-24), Bryant returned as he aims to get into a rhythm before the playoffs begin.

Bryant wore a black sock over his lower left leg, with what appeared to be a shin guard protecting the injured area. He scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

The Spurs (46-16) stayed atop the Western Conference with their sixth straight victory while the Lakers missed a chance to clinch home court in the first round of the playoffs.

These teams could meet in the opening round, and judging by their latest meeting, it would be a mismatch.

San Antonio has given Los Angeles its two worst losses of the season the worst Friday night and 112-91 on Tuesday. Duncan had 21 points and eight rebounds, Parker had 20 points and 10 assists, and Ginobili added 20 points and seven assists.

San Antonio hit 47 of 77 shots from the field and broke the game open in the third quarter, when Bryant played his best. The Lakers’ star hit 5 of 6 shots in the quarter, directing his teammates on offense and yelling at them to “D-up” on defense.

It hardly mattered, though, as he was repeatedly on his heels on defense as the Spurs pushed the ball. San Antonio scored 18 points in the paint in the quarter to only two for Los Angeles.

While Bryant was sidelined, several Lakers increased their scoring, none more than Metta World Peace. World Peace more than doubled his scoring average with Bryant out of the lineup, but he had only 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting against the Spurs.

“We counted on all our guys (when Bryant was out),” Lakers coach Mike Brown said before the game. “I thought Metta stepped up . all our guys stepped up. Hopefully they just stay aggressive. I think we’ll be fine, but we’ll see how we blend or gel.”

Andrew Bynum scored 17 points for the Lakers, while Matt Barnes had 14 and Pau Gasol 11.

“I think Kobe knew that if he came back too early from this injury, it would set him back,” Brown said. “We didn’t want to have any setbacks this time of year. He’s been great the whole time.”

He certainly got off to a strong start, going down low on Kawhi Leonard for a short jumper and a foul on the Lakers’ first possession. Bryant hit the ensuing free throw, but he didn’t score again until he hit a 15-foot jumper with 34 seconds left in the quarter.

Notes: Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong sat courtside for the game. . The Spurs hit 10 of 15 3-pointers for a season-high 66.7 percent. . Lakers G Devin Ebanks, who started with Bryant out, played only 8 minutes and didn’t score. . Spurs C Tiago Splitter started and DeJuan Blair came off the bench against the tall Lakers’ frontline. Splitter is 6-foot-11, and Blair is 6-7. . With Magic C Dwight Howard possibly out for the Summer Olympics after electing to have back surgery, Bynum looks like a possible replacement. “It’s the same thing for any coach who has a player playing,” Brown said. “`Rest, rest, rest.’ You worry about the injuries, but at the end of the day, it’s a significant honor.”

Read More: Tim Duncan (F – SAN), Gregg Popovich (H – SAN), San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers

Gregg Popovich’s persistent resting of Tim Duncan is paying serious dividends Friday night. The San Antonio Spurs veteran sat out of Wednesday’s win over the Sacramento Kings and the rest appears to be doing him good. He’s been the best player on the floor for his team against the Los Angeles Lakers, and his performance is the biggest reason the Spurs lead 56-52 at halftime.

Duncan is 8-12 from the field and leads all scorers with 16 points to go along with five rebounds and two blocks. Tony Parker is also having a fantastic night with 11 points and seven assists, while Manu Ginobili has 10 points off the bench. Andrew Bynum has been the biggest star for the Lakers, with 12 points. Kobe Bryant has looked a bit rusty, and he’s 2-6 from the floor with seven points in his first game since April 6.

San Antonio is shooting 58 percent from the floor to LA’s 45 percent, but the Lakers are getting to the free throw line at a much more consistent clip. Their 13-14 performance from the charity stripe is keeping the game close. San Antonio has committed a lot of fouls and they might run into a bit of foul trouble in the second half if they’re not careful. Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter both have three personals.

For more, check out SB Nation’s Spurs blog Pounding the Rock and our Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll.

Lakers Friday preview: at San Antonio Spurs (45-16)

April 19th, 2012, 8:05 pm · · posted by KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM

A four-game winning streak has given the San Antonio Spurs sole possession of the Western Conference lead.

A visit to Sacramento would appear to be a good way for them to maintain it.

The Spurs aim for a sweep of their three-game, three-day trip through California on Wednesday night by going for their eighth straight road win over the Kings.

San Antonio (44-16) holds a lead of one-half game over Oklahoma City atop the West. The Spurs have six games remaining – one more than the Thunder.

The Spurs have gained the inside track to home-court advantage throughout the West playoffs by averaging 111.0 points during their winning streak.

“We love our position (in the West), obviously,” forward Tim Duncan said. “We hope to hold on to it. We’re facing a tough schedule, but we’re feeling good, and we’re staying healthy.”

San Antonio certainly had to feel good about Tuesday’s 112-91 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, handing the Pacific Division leaders their most lopsided defeat of the season. That came one night after a 120-99 victory at Golden State.

The Spurs have won 22 of the last 25 overall regular-season meetings with the Kings (20-41), going 11-1 record in Sacramento during that stretch. They extended their road winning streak in the series to seven with a 117-112 victory March 28.

Tony Parker finished with 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in that meeting, but he’s coming off a much more impressive performance. The All-Star point guard hit 14 of 20 field-goal attempts against the Lakers and had 29 points and 13 assists in Tuesday’s win.

Regardless of their ultimate seed, the Spurs will make a 14th consecutive trip to the playoffs, while the Kings are already assured of failing to qualify for a sixth straight year.

Issues off the court are making it uncertain if the Kings will even remain in Sacramento after nearly relocating to Anaheim at the end of last season. The Maloof family announced at last week’s NBA owners meetings that they were backing out of a proposed downtown arena plan in Sacramento, putting the club’s future beyond next season in doubt.

The outcome of Sunday’s game was in doubt until the final buzzer, but Marcus Thornton’s jumper with 3.4 seconds to play gave the Kings a 104-103 win over Portland. DeMarcus Cousins finished with 23 points while shooting 11 of 18 from the floor.

“We had a few (fans) that may have voiced their opinion, but once the game started going and became an excitable game, I think they fell back to the side,” coach Keith Smart said. “People get upset, but they are die-hard Kings fans. They like Kings basketball, it’s just that they are a little heart-broken, like everyone is right now.”

Cousins had 25 points and 11 rebounds in last month’s loss to the Spurs.

LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 16: Manu Ginobili , Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Boris Diaw of the San Antonio Spurs look on against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 17, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

LOS ANGELES — Tony Parker had 29 points and 13 assists, Tim Duncan had 19 points and eight rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs handed the Los Angeles Lakers their worst loss of the season, 112-91 on Tuesday night.

Manu Ginobili scored 15 points as the Spurs improved their spot atop the Western Conference with their fourth straight win. They also snapped Los Angeles’ four-game winning streak while dominating a meeting of division leaders – albeit with Kobe Bryant sitting out his sixth straight game to rest his bruised shin.

Andrew Bynum had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers, whose Pacific Division lead over the Clippers dwindled to a half-game, although the Lakers hold the tiebreaker. Matt Barnes and Pau Gasol scored 16 points apiece, but with Bryant watching from the bench in a sharp suit, Los Angeles couldn’t match the depth of the Spurs, who got at least four points from 10 players.

Just six days after the Kobe-less Lakers jumped to a 26-point lead during a comfortable victory at San Antonio, the Spurs answered by scoring 18 consecutive points during an impressive second-quarter spree.

San Antonio, which had lost three straight to the Lakers, stretched its lead to 23 points in the third quarter – making 30 of 43 shots in the middle quarters – and hung on comfortably for its 15th win in 17 games. Parker particularly decimated Los Angeles’ defense, going 14 of 20 against point guards Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake.

The Spurs (44-16) have a half-game lead over Oklahoma City (44-17) for the No. 1 seed in the West.

The two perennial West powers will meet yet again for a rubber match Friday in San Antonio.

Although Bryant says he would be healthy enough to play if the Lakers were in the playoffs now, coach Mike Brown thinks Bryant is unlikely to play Wednesday at Golden State. The NBA scoring leader already has played through several lesser injuries this season, and Brown seems content to allow Bryant to heal for the postseason, even if his absence costs the Lakers a spot in playoff seeding.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich agreed with his former assistant’s strategy, saying he would choose health over playoff position. Popovich has rested his veteran core down the stretch, but everybody was active against the Lakers – and everybody contributed to a blowout win.

Bryant’s absence had inspired strong performances from the Lakers over the past week, but the Spurs had little trouble with Los Angeles’ reconfigured lineup. San Antonio took control with a 24-4 run in the second quarter, blowing open a tight game with opportunistic defense and relentless fast breaks.

Six players scored during the 18-0 portion of the run, with Danny Green hitting consecutive 3-pointers along the way. The Lakers committed seven turnovers in the second quarter, while the Spurs made 17 of 24 shots to take a 63-47 halftime lead.

NOTES: The Spurs have 19 road wins, matching Oklahoma City for the most in the West. Chicago leads the NBA with 22. … Devin Ebanks had nine points in his 10th start of the season for Los Angeles, his sixth straight in Bryant’s place. The second-year pro has played in just 20 games this season. … Fans near courtside included Denzel Washington, Charlize Theron, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, Salma Hayek, Kat Dennings and former Angels 3B Doug DeCinces.

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