The Western Conference Finals have arrived and the Spurs are still standing.  Some had written them off, saying that they were too old to get this far.  But you should never question the heart of a champion and the Spurs have many of them still on their roster.  The Grizzlies are going to be a big time foe, as they are playing their best basketball right now.  Here is a look at the matchups in this series:

POINT GUARD:  Tony Parker just keeps getting better for the Spurs.  He is taking his team to the next level and he will look to do it again in this series.  It won’t be easy as Mike Conley of the Grizzlies is going to challenge him on both ends of the basketball court.  Parker has played in 10 games (all starts) for the Spurs so far in the playoffs and he is averaging 36.0 minutes, 22.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.  Parker has now played in 162 games (154 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 36.3 minutes, 19.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

Mike Conley has taken his game to the next level in the playoffs for the Grizzlies.  Conley has played in 11 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 38.5 minutes, 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.  He has now played in 31 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 39.0 minutes, 15.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

EDGE:  SLIGHT FOR THE SPURS

SHOOTING GUARD:  Danny Green is a solid “glue” player for the Spurs as he does all of the little things that lead to wins.  Green has played in 10 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 30.7 minutes, 10.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  Green has now played in 28 games (22 starts) in his career in the playoffs and he is averaging 21.5 minutes, 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Tony Allen is the Grizzlies’ defensive stopper, and he has also been playing better offensive basketball so far in the playoffs.  He has played in 11 games (all starts) for the Grizzlies in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 28.8 minutes, 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game.  Allen has now played in 87 games (34 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 16.6 minutes, 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

EDGE:  EVEN

SMALL FORWARD:  Kawhi Leonard is a player on the rise for the Spurs.  He has played in 10 games (all starts) so far in the playoffs and he is averaging 37.7 minutes, 13.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Leonard has now played in 24 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 31.5 minutes, 10.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Tayshaun Prince is an old pro who knows all of the tricks, especially on defense.  He has played in 11 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 33.6 minutes, 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.  Prince has now played in 129 games (117 starts) in the playoffs in his career and he is averaging 37.1 minutes, 12.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

EDGE:  SPURS

POWER FORWARD:  Tim Duncan is one of the best big men to ever play in the NBA and he has quite a bit left in the gas tank.  Duncan has played in 10 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 34.4 minutes, 18.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game.  He has now played in 200 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 38.8 minutes, 22.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Zach Randolph has been a force in the playoffs for the Grizzlies and he is going to be up for the challenge of dealing with Duncan.  Randolph has played in 11 games (all starts) so far in the playoffs and he is averaging 36.4 minutes, 19.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.  Randolph has now played in 39 games (35 starts) in his playoff career and he is averaging 35.1 minutes, 17.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

EDGE:  VERY, VERY SLIGHT FOR THE SPURS

CENTER:  Tiago Splitter played well for the Spurs during the regular season but it hasn’t translated over into playoff production quite yet.  Splitter has played in 8 games (7 starts) in the playoff so far this year and he is averaging 21.9 minutes, 5.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  He has now played in 24 games (7 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 16.4 minutes, 6.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

Marc Gasol has turned into one of the best all-around centers in the NBA and he is going to give the Spurs fits in this series.  Gasol has played in 11 games (all starts) in the playoffs so far and he is averaging 40.3 minutes, 18.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.2 blocked shots per game.  He has now played in 31 games (all starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is averaging 39.5 minutes, 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game.

EDGE:  HUGE FOR THE GRIZZLIES

BENCH:  During the regular season, the Spurs used the bench quite a bit.  But so far in the playoffs, they have been riding the starters for the most part.  The only exception to that has been shooting guard Manu Ginobili.  He still brings instant energy and offense off the bench.  He has played in 10 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 25.6 minutes, 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.  He has now played in 146 games (49 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 30.6 minutes, 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Power forward/center Matt Bonner is the rare big man that can shoot the hell out of the basketball.  He is hitting 57.1% from three point range in the playoffs this year!  Bonner has played in 10 games (1 start) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 16.0 minutes, 4.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  He has now played in 55 games (6 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 13.7 minutes, 3.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Boris Diaw missed the first round of the playoffs due to injury, but he’s back now and he can play anywhere on the basketball court.  Diaw has played in 6 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 17.8 minutes, 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.  Diaw has now played in 59 games (41 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 30.7 minutes, 11.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.  Shooting guard Gary Neal also brings instant offense off the bench (to a lesser degree than Ginobili does).  Neal has played in 10 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 16.9 minutes, 5.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  Neal has now played in 30 games (0 starts) for the Spurs in the playoffs in his career and he is averaging 16.6 minutes, 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  Cory Joseph has been Tony Parker’s caddy in the playoffs this year.  He has played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Spurs in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 11.2 minutes, 3.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  PF/C DeJuan Blair can throw his body around when needed.  He has played in 8 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 6.8 minutes, 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  Blair has now played in 32 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 8.5 minutes, 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.

The Grizzlies have also been riding their starters hard, as they have not used the bench too much so far in the playoffs.  Jerryd Bayless is the first guard off the bench as he can handle playing either spot.  He has played in 11 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs and he is averaging 19.1 minutes, 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.  Bayless has now played in 19 games (2 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 20.4 minutes, 9.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.  SF/SG Quincy Pondexter is a good long range shooter.  He has played in 11 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs this year and he is averaging 20.7 minutes, 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  He has now played in 21 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 16.7 minutes, 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds an 0.5 assists per game.  Darrell Arthur has been the Grizzlies’ top big man off the bench in the playoffs.  Arthur has played in 11 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs this year and he is averaging 11.7 minutes, 3.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.  He has now played in 24 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 13.8 minutes, 5.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Combo guard Keyon Dooling will also likely get some P.T. in this series.  He has played in 10 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 8.5 minutes, 2.2 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He has now played in 59 games (0 starts) so far in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 13.1 minutes, 4.8 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  Power forward Ed Davis hasn’t gotten to play much in the playoffs so far this year, but he is a talented player.  He has played in 6 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far this year and he is averaging 5.3 minutes, 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

EDGE:  SPURS

COACHING:  Gregg Popovich is one of the best head coaches on the planet Earth.  He has already won four NBA Championships and he knows how to get the best out of his team.  He has led the Spurs to an 8-2 (80%) record so far this year in the playoffs.  He is now 126-79 (61.5%) in the playoffs so far in his NBA career.

Lionel Hollins has his team purring like a well oiled machine right now.  He has led the Grizzlies to a 8-3 (72.7%) record in the playoffs so far this year.  Hollins is now 18-13 (58.1%) in the playoffs so far in his career as an NBA head coach.

EDGE:  SPURS

PREDICTION:  SPURS IN SIX GAMES

The Spurs turned up the D last night as they held the Warriors to a paltry 38.8% shooting from the floor.  Tim Duncan (19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocked shots) and Kawhi Leonard (16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals) led the way for the Spurs last night.  Tiago Splitter (14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot), Tony Parker (13 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists despite shooting 3 of 16 from the floor) and Danny Green (11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal) also pitched in for the Spurs.  The Spurs finished off the Warriors in six hard fought basketball games.

The Spurs shot 51.9% from the floor last night and it helped them propel right by the Warriors in this game.  Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with 25 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 steal.  Kawhi Leonard (17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals), Danny Green (16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot) and Tim Duncan (14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists) also had solid games for the Spurs last night.  Manu Ginobili pitched in with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal in this game.  The Spurs are now up 3-2 in this series.

The Spurs only shot 35.5% from the floor yesterday and they were outscored 13-3 in O.T. and it did them in.  Manu Ginobili led the way for the Spurs yesterday with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots.  Tim Duncan only shot 7 of 22 from the floor, but he still finished up with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots.  Tony Parker only shot 6 of 17 from the floor and he finished up with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.  Kawhi Leonard (11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal) and Danny Green (10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot) combined to shoot only 8 of 24 from the floor in this game.  The Spurs and Warriors are tied up at 2 games apiece in this series.

The Spurs shot 50.6% from the floor and they held the Warriors to 39.3% shooting from the floor, which were the two biggest reasons for the outstanding road win last night.  Tony Parker (32 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists) and Tim Duncan (23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocked shots) led the way for the Spurs last night.  Kawhi Leonard also had a solid game with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal last night.  Manu Ginobili only shot 4 of 11 from the floor, but he still finished up with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in this game.  The Spurs are now up 2-1 in this series.

The Spurs only shot 39.3% from the floor and they were behind 62-43 at the half which was too much to overcome last night.  Tim Duncan (23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot) and Tony Parker (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals) led the way for the Spurs last night.  Manu Ginobili (12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals), Kawhi Leonard (11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocked shots) and Danny Green (10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) also pitched in for the Spurs last night.  The Spurs are now tied up at 1 game apiece with the series shifting to Oakland for games #3 and #4.

The Spurs were outplayed for the first three quarters before they turned it on and prevailed in 2 O.T.  The Spurs outscored the Warriors 26-14 to send the game into O.T.  But, the Warriors shot 51% from the floor and they out-rebounded the Spurs 55-45….so there was some luck involved in the win last night.  Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs last night with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.  Danny Green (22 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots), Tim Duncan (19 points and 11 rebounds) and Kawhi Leonard (18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals) also had solid games for the Spurs last night.  Manu Ginobili only shot 5 of 20 from the floor, but he hit the game winning three pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the second O.T. period last night.  Despite his poor shooting, Ginobili still had 16 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists and 1 steal in 36 minutes on the floor.  Gary Neal pitched in with 10 points and 2 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench.  The Spurs are now up 1-o in this series.

The Spurs rolled against the old and beaten up Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.  They better be ready for a much stiffer challenge in the second round against a young and improving Golden State Warriors’ squad that dumped the Nuggets in six games in the first round.  Here is a look at the matchups in this series:

POINT GUARD:  Tony Parker is one of the best point guards on the planet and he steps up his games in the playoffs.  I look for that to continue.  Parker played in 4 games (all starts) against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 31.8 minutes, 22.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  He has now played in 156 games (148 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 36.2 minutes, 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

Stephen Curry of the Warriors has been red hot in his first shot at the playoffs for the Warriors this year.  He is going to cause the Spurs’ defense a lot of trouble in this series.  Curry played in 6 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 39.8 minutes, 24.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game.  Curry is shooting 46.4% from the floor, 43.4% from three point range and 100% from the free throw line so far in the playoffs.

EDGE:  EVEN

SHOOTING GUARD:  Danny Green didn’t play his best basketball against the Lakers and the Spurs need him to be better in the second round.  Green played in 4 games (all starts) for the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 23.3 minutes, 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.  Green has now played in 22 games (16 starts) so far in the playoffs in his NBA career and he is averaging 17.7 minutes, 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Klay Thompson can flat out put the ball in the basket.  When he’s on a hot shooting streak, he is a player to behold.  Thompson played in 6 games (all starts) against the Nuggets and he averaged 41.0 minutes, 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

EDGE:  WARRIORS

SMALL FORWARD:  Kawhi Leonard is a player on the rise for the Spurs, as he can do it all on the basketball court.  Leonard played in 4 games (all starts) against the Lakers and he averaged 33.5 minutes, 12.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Leonard has now played in 18 games (all starts) in his career in the playoffs and he is averaging 28.5 minutes, 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Harrison Barnes had a solid rookie season for the Warriors.  But, he is stepping up big time so far in the playoffs for them.  Barnes played in 6 games (all starts) for the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 35.5 minutes, 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

EDGE:  SLIGHT FOR THE SPURS

POWER FORWARD:  Tim Duncan is one of the best big men in all of basketball and he likely enjoyed the rest he got after the Spurs dumped the Lakers in four games.  Duncan played in 4 games (all starts) against the Lakers and he averaged 32.3 minutes, 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocked shot per game.  Duncan has now played in 194 games (all starts) so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 38.9 minutes, 22.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Carl Landry is a solid bench player, but he is going to have issues trying to defend Tim Duncan.  Landry played in 6 games (1 start) in the first round of the playoffs for the Warriors and he averaged 21.0 minutes, 12.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.  Landry has now played in 31 games (7 starts) in his career in the playoffs and he is averaging 22.1 minutes, 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

EDGE:  HUGE FOR THE SPURS

CENTER:  The Spurs hope that Tiago Splitter will be ready to return to action in this series.  He has a bum ankle right now.  Splitter played in 3 games (all starts) in the first round of the playoffs for the Spurs and he averaged 23.7 minutes, 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.  Splitter has now played in 19 games (3 starts) so far in the playoffs in his career and he is averaging 15.2 minutes, 5.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.

Andrew Bogut is also playing with a bum ankle.  Bogut has been great both rebounding and defending the rim so far in the playoffs for the Warriors.  He played in 6 games (all starts) against the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 27.7 minutes, 8.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.3 blocked shots per game on 63.2% shooting from the floor.  Bogut has now played in 11 games (all starts) so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 30.7 minutes, 8.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game.

EDGE:  WARRIORS

BENCH:  The Spurs have a deep bench and they are going to use it a lot in this series.  Shooting guard Manu Ginobili plays like his hair is on fire.  He brings big time hustle to the court whenever he is on it.  Ginobili played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he is averaging 19.5 minutes, 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.  He has now played in 140 games (49 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career in the playoffs and he is averaging 30.7 minutes, 16.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  PF/C Matt Bonner gives the Spurs a big guy that can shoot the lights out.  He played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 25.5 minutes, 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Bonner has now played in 49 games (5 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 14.2 minutes, 3.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Shooting guard Gary Neal is also a good offensive player off the bench, as he can fill up the stat sheet really quickly when he’s hot.  Neal played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he is averaging 19.3 minutes, 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  Neal has now played in 24 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 16.9 minutes, 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  DeJuan Blair could see increased action in this series due to the condition of Tiago Splitter’s ankle.  Blair played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Spurs in the first round and he averaged 11.3 minutes, 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  Blair has now played in 28 games (0 starts) in the playoffs so far in his career and he is averaging 9.4 minutes, 4.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Cory Joseph has been Tony Parker’s caddy so far in the playoffs.  He has played in 4 games (0 starts) against the Lakers in his first taste of the playoffs in his NBA career and he averaged 14.3 minutes, 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  Rookie center Aron Baynes could also have a big role in this series depending on the condition of Tiago Splitter’s ankle.  Baynes played in 4 games (1 start) in the first round of the playoffs for the Spurs and he averaged 5.8 minutes, 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.  Patty Mills, Nando De Colo and Tracy McGrady give the Spurs a very, very deep end of the bench.

The Warriors are likely going to have a short, but productive bench, in this series.  SG/PG Jarrett Jack is going to play a lot of minutes in this series.  He played in 6 games (4 starts) for the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 38.0 minutes, 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.  Jack shot 52.6% from the floor and 90.6% from the free throw line in the first round of the playoffs, as he was on fire.  Jack has now played in 12 games (4 starts) in the playoffs so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 28.3 minutes, 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.  Rookie forward Draymond Green didn’t play too well during the regular season, but he really stepped up his game in the first round of the playoffs against the Nuggets.  Green played in 6 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 16.8 minutes, 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 59.3% from the floor.  Rookie center Festus Ezeli will come in and bang around in the paint in this series a little bit.  He played in 6 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 9.2 minutes, 3.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shot per game.  Small forward Richard Jefferson would probably like to get back at his old team, but he’s not likely going to get to play too much in this series.  Jefferson played in 4 games (0 starts) in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 5.3 minutes, 1.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.3 assists per game.  Jefferson has now played in 98 games (71 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 32.7 minutes, 13.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.  Starting power forward David Lee tried to play last night and he only lasted about a minute.  I have doubts that he will have much of a role in this series due to his health.  Lee played in 2 games (1 start) against the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and he averaged 15.0 minutes, 5.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

EDGE:  SPURS

COACHING:  64-year old Gregg Popovich is the best head coach in the NBA right now.  He led the Spurs to a very easy 4-0 sweep of the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.  The Spurs are now 122-77 (61.3%) in the playoffs under Popovich and he has won the NBA Finals four times already with them.

48-year old Mark Jackson is a rising star among NBA head coaches.  The made some tactical moves against the Nuggets that resulted in them winning that series in six games.  Going with a three guard attack against the Nuggets was a genius move after David Lee got injured.

EDGE:  SPURS

PREDICTION:  SPURS IN SIX GAMES

The Spurs whacked the Lakers hard last night.  Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in this game.  Kawhi Leonard (13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals), DeJuan Blair (13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 19 minutes), Gary Neal (11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 21 minutes) and Tim Duncan (11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) also pitched in for the Spurs last night.  The Spurs swept the Lakers right out of the playoffs, beating them 4-0.

The Spurs will be without starting center Tiago Splitter today against the Lakers.  He has played in 3 games (all starts) for the Spurs so far against the Lakers and he is averaging 23.7 minutes, 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.  DeJuan Blair will be asked to replace Splitter, and he is a solid player.  Blair has played in 3 games (0 starts) against the Lakers so far in this series and he is averaging 8.7 minutes, 4.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.