But Spurs forward Tim Duncan's ankle injury throws a new twist into the scenario, and with 10 games left for both the Lakers and Spurs, things could get pretty interesting down the home stretch of the regular season.
The Lakers currently trail the Spurs by five games, but seven of their remaining 10 games are at home and two of those home games are against the Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers are one game ahead of Dallas in the standings and can clinch the season series with a victory, and they can also tie the season series if they defeat the Spurs.
San Antonio's road to the West's top seed was made more difficult with Duncan's injury, and even if Duncan does recover before the regular season ends there is little chance that he will see action before the postseason.
Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich is not likely to risk further injury to Duncan, so San Antonio will rely on the services of Tiago Splitter for their remaining 10 games.
The Spurs may have the more daunting task of holding onto their lead in the west, considering that five of their final 10 games are on the road, and all five are against teams currently in the playoff chase.
San Antonio must travel to Memphis, Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Phoenix, and the Spurs still have additional home dates with Boston, Portland and Phoenix.
That's a tough stretch to face even with a healthy Duncan.
And things may get a little tougher, because the Lakers are focused and playing their best basketball of the season.
Last night's 112-104 victory over the Clippers was the Lakers' 14th win in 15 games, and out of the three remaining teams they play on the road, only Portland has a winning r...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
