The Lakers doubled the Spurs' turnovers, had 15 less fast-break points and had three three-pointers as opposed to the Spurs' seven.
However, upon closer inspection, the Lakers were within striking distance for the majority of the game before the Spurs pulled away in the fourth.
Talent-wise, without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are going to have a hard time matching up with the combination of veteran leadership and athletic young legs the Spurs have on their team.
With Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili stepping up and doing the bulk of the scoring, the Lakers are going to have to focus on containing the paint and staying home on three-point shooters.
As Metta World Peace shows his age in terms of not being the perimeter-defending terror he used to be, it is clear that the Lakers are going to have their work cut out for them trying to contain the Spurs' big three.
The one thing that kept them in the game was their big men.
Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard are the keys to this series and the main advantage the Lakers have over the Spurs.
With Tim Duncan the only player in the frontcourt with the talent and skills to match up with the Lakers' twin towers, it is up to them to take advantage of mismatches and dominate.
Although the Lakers lost this game by double digits, they also gobbled up one more rebound than the Spurs did. The Lakers also outscored the Spurs in the paint by eight points, producing 40 points in the interior.
Offensively, this is the key to their success. By continuing to pound the paint, the inevitable defensive collapse upon the big men should free up the Lakers' shooters, who were not making their shots.
Steve Nash and Steve Blake co...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
