Lakers' early run holds up in victory over Spurs
SAN ANTONIO -- Tyler Ennis scored 19 points to lead five Lakers in double-figure scoring as Los Angeles, playing for nothing but pride in the final week of the NBA regular season, rolled past the San Antonio Spurs 102-95 on Wednesday at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio likely will be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference when the playoffs begin next week.
Los Angeles never trailed and led by as many as 26 in the second quarter. But it took a 10-0 run midway through the fourth period and two late misses by the Spurs after they had cut the Lakers' lead to just 100-95 in the final minute to secure the victory.
Jordan Clarkson added 16 and Larry Nance Jr. hit for 15 for the Lakers, who won for the second straight game against a team that's clinched a playoff berth. Julius Randle scored 11 points and David Nwaba hit for 10 for Los Angeles.
Tony Parker and Davis Bertans led the Spurs (60-18) with 14 points each, while Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol added 11 apiece for San Antonio, which was outshot 48.8-43.8 percent and outrebounded 47-37.
The Spurs also had 16 turnovers that led to 25 points for Los Angeles. San Antonio took just six free throws in the game, making four of them.
With the win, the Lakers (23-55) moved a full game ahead of Phoenix for the worst record in the Western Conference. Both teams could still catch Brooklyn, the bottom dweller in the East with a 19-59 mark, for the league's worst record.
For the second game in a row, the Spurs had a sluggish offensive start, hitting just 6 of their 22 shots in the first quarter, scoring 14 points and trailing Los Angeles 31-14. The Lakers, conversely, hit 58.3 percent of their shots as Ingram and Clarkson had eight points each in the period.
The Los Angeles advantage grew to 40-14 on a Thomas Robinson layup at the 10:34 mark of the second quarter before the Spurs finally woke up, scoring the next seven points to close the gap to 19 points. That Lakers lead was down to 53-41 at halftime despite 11 points from Ennis and 10 from Clarkson.
San Antonio was led in the half by Leonard's 11 points but the Spurs shot just 3 of 13 on 3-pointers in the first 24 minutes.
Neither Leonard nor LaMarcus Aldridge played in the second half, but Gasol played the first six and a half minutes of the third quarter and marshalled the Spurs back to within 65-62 at the 5:36 mark. Los Angeles had four players in double-figure scoring by the end of the period and held on tenuously to a 76-70 lead with a quarter to play.
NOTES: The Lakers played without G D'Angelo Russell (left knee soreness) while San Antonio Gs Manu Ginobili (right quad contusion), Danny Green (left quad contusion) and Dejounte Murray (left groin) did not suit up. ... It was the 13th game in a row Murray missed. ... The Spurs and Lakers have the two best overall winning percentages in NBA history. ... Lakers G Jordan Clarkson was born in San Antonio and graduated from high school in the Alamo City. ... Los Angeles has lost the last six season series to the Spurs and has a 4-7 record in San Antonio in its past 11 games. ... The Lakers have their next three games at home, beginning with Friday's contest versus Sacramento. ... Next up for San Antonio is Friday's road game in Dallas.