Here is what you need to know before the Lakers return from the All-Star Break against the San Antonio Spurs.
1)
Barring late scratches, this will be the final time Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan face off against one another. Duncan holds a 30-21 edge over Bryant in the regular season, but the Laker is 18-12 against his rival in the playoffs. Bryant also averaged 28.2 points in the postseason, while Duncan, too, stepped up on the larger stages with 25.2 points and 13.6 rebounds.
2)
Bryant just returned from his 15th and final All-Star Game. The four-time All-Star MVP scored 10 points in this year’s game and exited to a standing ovation from fans and players alike.
3)
Bryant was joined in Toronto by Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell, who competed in the Rising Stars Challenge and helped the USA Team to victory. Clarkson scored 25 points with five 3-pointers, while Russell provided 22 points and seven assists.
4)
The Spurs had two players suit up alongside Bryant for the Western Conference All-Stars: Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. Leonard — who did not play Thursday night due to a calf injury — has been one of the NBA’s top two-way threats, leading the league in both 3-point percentage (48.2) and defensive win shares (4.0).
5)
Like Leonard, Aldridge has been a capable player on both ends, but he’s looking to recover from a 3-of-12 shooting night against the Clippers Thursday. In his previous three games, he averaged 25.0 points while hitting 29-of-50.
6)
Meanwhile, Duncan has been mired in a slump combined with a knee injury. He missed San Antonio’s last five contests heading into the All-Star Break and has shot just 4-of-24 in his last four games, averaging 3.3 points.
7)
The Lakers haven’t been able to muster up much success against the Spurs lately, losing six in a row. Los Angeles also hasn’t taken the season series in seven years.
8)
Despite this recent history, the Lakers are looking to hand San Antonio — which fell to the Clippers Thursday — back-to-back losses for the first time this season. In fact, the Spurs haven’t dropped two in a row since February 2015.
9)
Clearly, it has been a dominant run for the Spurs to maintain that kind of streak. This season, they lead the league in scoring differential (+12.7), while ranking second in field goal percentage (48.9) and 3-point percentage (39.0).
10)
Per usual, the Spurs have been one of the NBA’s deepest teams. Their bench leads the league in assists (11.7) and field goal percentage (49.1), while ranking second in scoring (41.6), thanks to contributors like Patty Mills and David West.
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