Spurs at Lakers
Franchise fixture Tim Duncan is doubtful to play when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. The 14-time All-Star took an elbow in Wednesday’s season-opening victory against Memphis, and a CT scan on Thursday confirmed a chest contusion. “Tim’s a tough guy, and he’s going to bounce back from it,” swingman Danny Green said of Duncan, who will travel with the team as it starts a three-game road trip.
The Lakers could use the break after suffering a 29-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in the team’s second game in two nights following a 116-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Pau Gasol, perhaps the biggest beneficiary from Duncan’s likely absence, told reporters after the loss the team needs to have a more consistent effort. “We can't bring it one night, not bring it the next and expect to win,” Gasol said.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, KENS (San Antonio), TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE SPURS (1-0): Not much went wrong for San Antonio in the opener aside from Duncan’s injury. Six different players scored in double figures, including three off the bench, as the Spurs shot 52.6 percent from the field and hit 11-of-20 3-pointers. Coach Gregg Popovich, in his 18th season with the team, knows it’s too early to get excited, saying afterward, “We have 81 more games.”
ABOUT THE LAKERS (1-1): Gasol has taken a leadership role with Kobe Bryant still recovering from a torn Achilles and is averaging 13.5 points and 10 rebounds through the first two games. A bright spot for Los Angeles has been the play of its reserves, who scored a total of 128 points in the back-to-back set. The main contributor has been Xavier Henry, a shooting guard who averaged 4.5 points over his first three seasons but already has 36 points off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lakers PG Steve Nash is expected to play after the 39-year-old rested against the Warriors.
2. San Antonio has gone 2-1 against the Lakers in each of the past two seasons.
3. Spurs SF Kawhi Leonard was the only two San Antonio players to log 30 or more minutes in the opener and tied Boris Diaw for the team lead with 14 points.