The Lakers stormed out against the Spurs, never trailing, taking a 2-0 lead in the best of 7 series against the defending NBA Champion, San Antonio Spurs.
The Lakers have stopped Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili from driving to the basket, and with a tight defense, have secured their hold on home court advantage in the series. Your move, Spurs.
The 101-71 pasting puts the pressure squarely on San Antonio, who are 6-0 at home in the NBA Playoffs. That is the good news for the Spurs. The bad news is that the Spurs look worn, perhaps the effect of dueling with the Suns and Hornets for the past few weeks just to get to the Lakers.
The Lakers have now won 13 straight at home, and have not lost in Los Angeles since March. The Spurs will have to go 4-1 to advance to the NBA Finals, and have less than a 10% chance to do so given the stats of teams down 0-2 in the NBA Playoffs. Still, if anyone can do it, it is the battle-tested, but also battle-weary Spurs.
The Lakers outscored the Spurs 55-34 in the second-half, while the big hitters for the Spurs were awful. Tony Parker shooting 6-15, Manu Ginobili 2-8, and Tim Duncan 6-14. That will get the Spurs swept and wept out of the playoffs, should that unsettling trend continue.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 22 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists. Lamar Odom had a well-rounded 20 points, and 12 rebounds. The Spurs are in must-win territory now, having to have a game three victory to hold any hopes of keeping their season alive.