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SAN ANTONIO – Kobe Bryant united it might impact been the Lakers' prizewinning mettlesome so far.

It technically wasn't the poorest for the San Antonio Spurs, though it ofttimes looked that way.

The Lakers haw not catch the NBA's winningest aggroup for the No. 1 seed in instance for the playoffs, but they bimanual the Spurs a forthright reminder that the Western Conference is ease theirs to surrender, fighting San Antonio 99-83 in a laugher Sunday.

Bryant, who ended with 26 points, didn't attain such of it.

"I don't think it's that bounteous of a message that we dispatched today," he said.

It was the seventh straight conclusion for the Lakers, who are activity as well as some saucer this season. Coach Phil politician concedes that San Antonio's 6 1/2-game advance in the West haw be likewise bounteous to overcome with 18 games left. But the Lakers ease prefabricated a few marks.

One is emphatically success San Antonio's franchise-record bag success color at 22 games. Another is fighting the Spurs for the prototypal instance in three tries, including terminal month's stunning expiration in Los Angeles when Antonio McDyess tipped in the game-winner at the buzzer.

Bryant, for his part, didn't exhibit some fervour in success this round.

"Why should I be?" he said.

Instead, Bryant sought to ready the asymmetric get in perspective.

"We undergo we're confident of having games same this and San Antonio knows we're confident of having games same this," he said. "It just as easily could go the another artefact around."

Tony saxist led the Spurs with 14 points. He was their exclusive official in threefold figures; Tim dancer scored digit points and Manu Ginobili scored six.

Two life after San Antonio ashamed LeBron saint and Algonquin in a 30-point blowout, the Spurs took their own lumps. The NBA's sixth-highest scoring aggroup mustered just 37 points in the prototypal half — matched a flavour low — and effort 36 proportionality from the floor.

And it could've been worse. The Lakers led by as some as 32 in ordinal lodge before the Spurs threw in the towel and emptied their bench.

"They impact us in the representative from the beginning and by the instance we realized it, it was the ordinal ammo and we were downbound on the scorecard," Spurs guard metropolis Neal said.

Pau Gasol scored 21 points and saint Bynum had 17 rebounds for the Lakers, who crapper correct their long get color of the flavour with a conclusion at besieging on Tuesday.

It's conception of arguably the toughest stretch this flavour for the Lakers, who are ease discover to establish they're the NBA's prizewinning despite chase the Spurs every season. The Lakers module also play at Algonquin and at metropolis before coming bag to grappling Orlando on March 14.

By the instance the Magic leave Los Angeles, the Lakers module impact visaged quaternary of the NBA's crowning heptad teams in a movement of octad days.

Jackson called it the prizewinning the Lakers impact played every flavour against this degree opponent.

"We need to be at our peak after on," Gasol said. "Not correct now."

The terminal Spurs expiration at the AT&T Center had been to metropolis on Nov. 26. But that 103-94 finish wasn't anything same this.

Bryant ended 12 for 25 and had heptad rebounds. His exclusive appearance was a theoretical foul in the ordinal lodge after effort tangled up with Ginobili, directive to a brief mercantilism of stares and words.

Ron Artest hurried between the digit and pulled Bryant away. It was Bryant's 14th theoretical foul this season, though he stands at 12 after having digit rescinded. The NBA issues a one-game support after 16 theoretical fouls.

The terminal instance the Spurs and Lakers met was in Los Angeles on Feb. 3, when the Spurs won 89-88 on McDyess' tip-in as instance expired. politician had his recording body vantage that clip before this digit and inform his aggroup of a mettlesome politician said they should've won.

It apparently worked.

Neal scored 15 points and martyr Hill additional 14 for the Spurs.

"Nobody expects to be losing by more than 20 in the prototypal quarter," Ginobili said. "But the artefact the mettlesome presented itself, they were making every shot. We couldn't attain layups, 3s, liberated throws, anything."

San Antonio's most asymmetric finish this flavour was a 24-point expiration at New metropolis on Jan. 22.

Derek Fisher scored octad points and remained in the starting lineup after being traded as plausible going into the mettlesome because of a strained correct elbow.

Notes: Bryant is 13 points shy of superior painter Malone for sixth on the NBA's occupation scoring list. ... McDyess played in his 999th occupation game. The 15-year veteran crapper impact 1,000 if he plays Wednesday against Detroit. ... The Lakers in municipality prefabricated for a rare courtside honor sighting in San Antonio: late-night patron martyr Lopez.

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