|
 The defending NBA champion Spurs (17-5), losers of two straight for the first time this season, played without stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
Duncan, averaging 17.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, sat out his fourth straight game because of a sprained right ankle. Parker, averaging 20.1 points and 6.8 assists, missed his first game of the season with a sprained left ankle.
After Bruce Bowen's 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter tied the game at 81, two baskets by Vladimir Radmanovic triggered an 18-5 run that gave the Lakers a 99-86 lead with 3:40 remaining. San Antonio scored the final five points after the outcome had been decided.
Lamar Odom had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers (13-8).
Bowen led the Spurs with 22 points -- two off his career high. Brent Barry added 17 points, Manu Ginobili scored 14 and Fabricio Oberto had a career-high 16 rebounds to go with nine points.
Lakers center Andrew Bynum picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 4:32 left in the third quarter and the Lakers leading 63-59. He left with six points and 11 rebounds.
The Spurs got a 3-pointer from Michael Finley and two more from Bowen for a 72-69 lead
-- their first since the opening minute of the second quarter. They led 74-72 entering the final period.
The Lakers led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter before settling for a 51-43 halftime lead. Bryant had 16 points at the half, with none of his teammates scoring more than five.
[to top of second column] |
The Lakers shot 1-of-14 to start the game, but trailed by only one point entering the second quarter. San Antonio reserves scored 12 of their team's 19 points in the period.
Notes: Bowen, who entered with a 5.6-point average, scored a season-high 23 in the Spurs' 107-92 victory over the Lakers last month in San Antonio. ... The Lakers play five of their next six games on the road starting Friday night at Golden State. They've won nine straight games and 14 of their last 15 against the Warriors. ... Duncan sat out only two games in each of the last two seasons. Parker has played in 492 games while missing just 22 in his six-plus seasons with the Spurs. Coach Gregg Popovich said Duncan might return to action Saturday night when the Spurs entertain Denver, but Parker will probably be out a little longer. "Tony's been laboring for two, three games with his foot," Popovich said. "It's real sore. He can't plant and spin. It's not going to heal unless he sits." ... Kwame Brown has missed 14 games because of injuries this season and sat out 41 for the same reason last season. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he hopes Brown will be able to play next week.
[Associated Press; By JOHN NADEL]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
|
