Lakers vs Spurs Preview: Last Chance to See Two Legends Go At It

Tim Duncan and the Spurs face off against a Kobe Bryant led Lakers for the last time

Once bitter rivals, the relationship between Lakers’ super star, Kobe Bryant, and the San Antonio Spurs as of late has been interesting to watch. Founded on mutual respect, his recent interaction with coach Gregg Popovich at All-Star weekend tells it all.

Two teams at the opposite end of the spectrum, Friday represents the last time Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan will square off on the hardwood. Both hold a place on this era’s basketball Mount Rushmore, despite serving as character foils for nearly 20 years.

Duncan and the Spurs, re-upped with young talent Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, show no signs of slowing down, making the current state of the Lakers that much more depressing. However, with the season coming to an end, free agency and the draft looming, who knows? Maybe a Hollywood makeover could be in store for the Purple and Gold.

Be sure to tune in tonight to see if Byron Scott holds true to his word to reduce Kobe’s playing time while feeding said minutes to the young guns on the team.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers

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Date: Friday, Feb. 19
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Arena: STAPLES Center
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Here

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Spurs -11
Moneyline: Spurs -900, Lakers +600
O/U: 204

Injury Report

Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Brown (ankle)—Probable, Larry Nance Jr. (knee)—Probable

San Antonio Spurs: Kawhi Leonard (left calf)–Out, Manu Ginobili (groin)–Out, Matt Bonner (calf)–Out

Next: Julius Randle to Start the Remainder of the Season

Prediction

Even against a Kawhi Leonard-Manu Ginobili less Spurs squad, the Lakers don’t have enough to avoid the season sweep. Expect a big game out of Julius Randle as he returns to the starting line up.

Be sure to check back with Lake Show Life for all your Lakers news, updates, analysis and more.