Lakers swept by Spurs, Dwight Howard ejected
By Daniel Nicks
Apr 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol and San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan meet on the court at the conclusion of San Antonio
With two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Staples Center was a ghost town. Not surprising as fans never had all that much to cheer for to begin with.
Dwight Howard, unable to cope with the physicality of the San Antonio Spurs, was ejected early in the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul.
Twitter erupted following the incident, as #DwightHowardIsMoreUselessThan began trending and Laker nation was left wondering if this was the last game Howard would ever play in purple and gold.
Just minutes after Howard retreated to the locker room Staples Center erupted at the sight of Kobe Bryant as he limped into the arena on crutches.
His entrance was the only notable noise we would hear from a drained LA crowd until Pau Gasol received a standing ovation as he made his way to the bench late in the fourth quarter.
Outside of those incidents and the inspired play of Tony Parker this game was downright painful to watch.
The Lakers actually entered halftime with more turnovers than made field goals and were on pace for a 30-plus turnover night until finally settling down in the second half.
There’s honestly no analysis or insight to give into this loss. Whether you want to blame it on injuries or coaching or whatever, the game was an appropriate ending to a less than competitive series. The Spurs simply deserved to win.
And with Kobe unable to win his sixth ring this season, I wish Tim Duncan the best of luck in claiming his fifth.