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 Kawhi Leonard produced 15 points and 14 rebounds, helping the San
Antonio Spurs defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 99-85 on Friday night.
Leonard, 23, also finished with three assists and two steals.
It was the seventh straight loss for the Lakers (12-32), who started
life without guard Kobe Bryant.
Bryant, 36, suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder
during a game on Wednesday in New Orleans. He was examined by team
physician Dr. Steve Lombardo on Friday. He is scheduled for
examination by a second doctor, Neal ElAttrache, on Monday. The
likely outcome is season-ending surgery.
Lakers coach Byron Scott said there is not much he can say to his
players at this point.
"We have to pull together as a team," Scott said. "That's all I can
tell them."
Lakers center Robert Sacre said it's best they not dwell on Bryant's
absence.
"It's just gonna make it worse," Sacre said.
Guard Nick Young led the Lakers with 17 points in 20 minutes. Rookie
point guard Jordan Clarkson, who is from San Antonio, scored 11
points in the first start of his career.
 "I'm very happy with the way Jordan played," Scott said. "He looked
like he was poised and the moment wasn't too big for him."
Guard Wayne Ellington, Bryant's replacement in the starting lineup,
also had 11 points.
The Lakers trailed by 23 in the second quarter but did not fold.
They cut the deficit to 10 on a 3-point basket by guard Wesley
Johnson with 10 minutes remaining in the game. The Spurs responded
with seven straight points on baskets by guard Manu Ginobili,
forward Boris Diaw and guard Patty Mills.
"Give them credit for fighting," Leonard said.
Scott did just that, except for a rough first quarter after which
they trailed 31-15.
"Our effort was really good," Scott said.
Guard Tony Parker led the Spurs (28-17) with 17 points. Ginobili
scored 15 and forward Tim Duncan had 14.
Despite the absence of Bryant, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich did not
give either of his two oldest players the night off in the second
game of a back to back.
Duncan, 38, and Ginobili, 37, received plenty of rest after the
Spurs trailed Chicago by 17 points after three quarters on Thursday
in the Bulls' 23-point win. Duncan played 23 minutes, five more than
Ginobili.
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Popovich said he can only plan so much for resting players.
"It's a process you talk about daily and weekly," Popovich said.
"You look at the schedule at the beginning of the year. But you have
to do it by the seat of your pants as you go, because it depends on
how much people played the last three days, or last night, or what's
coming up, who else is hurt. It's never about wins or losses. You
never overplay somebody to get the win."
Duncan and Ginobili didn't play a lot of minutes on Friday with 20
and 23, respectively, as the Spurs were never in much danger of
losing.
"It's easier to focus, to be ready, when you were embarrassed,"
Ginobili said. "We are not reliable, consistent for 48 minutes. But
at least for moments we did very well."
NOTES: Lakers coach Byron Scott said he feels partly responsible for
the torn rotator cuff in G Kobe Bryant's right shoulder because he
played heavy minutes early in the season. "It made me almost sick,"
Scott said. Scott said he texted an apology to Bryant, who is back
in Los Angeles. Bryant responded, "No, that ain't it." ... Lakers C
Tariq Black missed his second straight game with a sprained right
ankle. ... The San Antonio Spurs won 19 straight last season after F
Kawhi Leonard returned from missing 14 games with a broken hand.
This season they won three straight after Leonard's return from a
hand injury, a streak that was stopped in Chicago on Thursday. ...
Only three of 15 players who started the season on the Spurs' roster
have not led them team in scoring during a game this season: G Patty
Mills, C Aron Baynes and F Kyle Anderson. ... Spurs G Marco
Belinelli missed his eighth straight game with a strained groin.
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