LAKERS STAKE CLAIM AS BEST IN THE WEST BY DISMANTLING SPURS

Kobe Bryant led five Los Angeles players in double figures, as the Lakers downed the San Antonio Spurs, 99-85, in a matchup of two of the Western Conference's top teams. Andrew Bynum finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who have won four consecutive games. Trevor Ariza added 17 points, Pau Gasol 16 and Jordan Farmar 14 in LA's win. The Lakers and Spurs came into the contest leading their respective divisions -- Los Angeles atop the Pacific and San Antonio in front in the Southwest. But the Lakers came...read full article

Spurs stopping the Lakers in '09? Unlikely

Game time: Lakers 99, Spurs 85

Previous to the game it certainly looked like San Antonio was the only team that could prevent the Lakers from returning to the Finals. By early in the third quarter, however, this possibility was revealed as a pipe dream. Here's how and why the Lakers so easily dismantled the Spurs: 

Defense
L.A. was so quick into literally every passing lane that the Spurs needed to execute near-perfect passes to keep the ball moving. Any pass that was even slightly off the mark gave...read full article

Lakers breeze to 99-85 victory over Spurs

A matchup of the Western Conference's best teams turned out to be a mismatch. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, Pau Gasol added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers routed the San Antonio Spurs 99-85 Sunday. The win was the fourth straight and 14th in 17 games for the Lakers (35-8), whose .814 winning percentage is the best in the NBA although the defending champion Boston Celtics (37-9) lead them by a half-game in the overall standings by virtue of their 124-100 victory...read full article

Lakers leave no doubt in beating the Spurs

L.A. blows open the game early in the third quarter with its inside-out game, and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar returns from injury to score 14 points.

This time, the Lakers made sure there was no controversy in their minds, that there were no close calls and that the game was in hand long before the final minute. This time, on a Sunday afternoon at Staples Center, the Lakers beat up on the San Antonio Spurs, 99-85. And in the process, the Lakers got another piece back when Jordan Farmar returned to play...read full article

Lakers crush Spurs in Western Conference showdown

Kobe Bryant led a balanced scoring attack as the Los Angeles Lakers crushed the San Antonio Spurs 99-85 Sunday in a showdown of the Western Conference's top teams. Bryant scored 22 points while playing only three quarters. He was not needed in the fourth after the Lakers turned a six-point halftime lead into a 15-point spread in the third quarter. The margin eventually went to 21 in the fourth. "We played a stellar game and our bench was the difference breaking the game and holding the lead," Lakers coach Phil Jackson told reporters. "They (Spurs) just...read full article