The Los Angeles Lakers are forced to regroup following their 91-79 Game 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in their opening round Western Conference matchup.
With Kobe Bryant reduced to a Twitter-based assistant coach's role, it's about getting back to the basics for Mike D'Antoni's squad, even if that means shredding D'Antoni's playbook before Wednesday night's tip.
The AT&T Center in San Antonio hasn't been a welcoming venue all season, as the Spurs' victory on Sunday ran their home record to 36-6 on the year. But Gregg Popovich's club has also been one of the best road teams (23-18), meaning the friendly confines of the Staples Center aren't housing any guaranteed wins when this series shifts to L.A. on Friday night.
When: Wednesday, April 24, 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: San Antonio's AT&T Center
Series Record: 1-0 Spurs
TV: TNT
Game 1 Story Line
Considering the Mamba-less Lakers were also playing without key reserve Jordan Hill (ruled out for the series after Jan. hip surgery, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times), it came as little surprise that L.A. fell short in the numbers game. Getting key contributions from players like Manu Ginobili (18 points) and Matt Bonner (10), the Spurs held a massive 40-10 edge in bench points.
D'Antoni was forced to lean harder on his starters than he would have liked; both Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol topped the 41-minute mark, leaving the fresher Spurs racing out to a 17-2 advantage in fast-break points. Considering San Antonio shot just 37.6 percent from the field, compared to L.A.'s 41.1 percent mark, the Spurs needed all of the freebies they could get.
Series Star So Far
Just a week ago, hoops heads abound questioned what, if anything, the Spurs could expect out of Ginobili. He missed nine of the Spurs' f...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
