Spurs go up 2-0 over the Lakers

After ninety-six minutes of incessant struggle in an unseasonably cool San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers finally get to go back home to the Staples Center for game three on Friday.  The Lakers are now down 2-0 in the best of seven playoff series given their 102-91 loss Wednesday night, but all hope is not lost.  There are plenty of changes that need to be made on defense, and definitely on offense, but unfortunately, the one change that really needs to be made can’t happen at the moment; who sits their ass in the coach’s chair. 

Shooting less than 50% just won’t cut it, not against the Spurs, and certainly not when Manu Ginobili enters the game- who is playing restricted minutes- and it becomes apparent his only goal is to knock down a handful of threes.  At the same time, it becomes apparent the Lakers feel this is the perfect time to play half-assed defense and fail to rotate, giving Ginobili wide-open looks (and this is the one man you don’t want to give wide-open looks). 

Pau Gasol and Steve Blake both scored 16 points leading the team in scoring, but Tony Parker would have only needed four more field goals to match their combined score. 

With Kobe out with a torn Achilles, Steve Nash waddling around stiffer than Lexington Steele on Viagra, and Jodi Meeks spraining his ankle in game one, along with the absence of Devin Ebanks and D’Antoni’s refusal to play Chris Duhon, the last thing Laker fans wanted to see was Steve Blake rubbing his hamstring (although if he rubbed a little higher)….. Anyway, it is now questionable if Blake will play in game three after suffering a hamstring strain late in the fourth quarter.  

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1617129-steve-blake-injury-updates-on-lakers-guards-hamstring

And if Gregg Popovich calls one more perfectly timed time out, Metta and me are going to throw some elbows- at the t.v. of course.