Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Nick Young owned his nickname Friday, hitting a quintessentially Swaggy P game-winning three, lifting his Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-110 overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Young carried the scoring load for the Lakers, dropping a game-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He was spectacular throughout, hitting jump shot after jump shot in the face of stiff defensive pressure.
Kobe Bryant entered the game 30 points shy of tying Michael Jordan for third all-time on the NBA's scoring list and scored 22 on 7-of-22 shooting.
History will have to wait for Bryant, but it was made by Tim Duncan (more on that later).
| Kobe Bryant | B+ |
| Jordan Hill | B |
| Nick Young | A |
| Carlos Boozer | A |
| Rest of Team | B |
| Tim Duncan | A+ |
| Tony Parker | C- |
| Danny Green | B+ |
| Manu Ginobili | B |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant: B+
It would have been easy and understandable for Bryant to chase the 31 points he needed to pass Jordan Friday, but he was actually quite measured. Or at least as measured as 2014 Bryant can be.
His shooting line was characteristically bad, but he was an excellent distributor, particularly in overtime. His nine assists were good for game-high honors.
Down the stretch, he wasn't hunting his own shot as aggressively as he has at other times this season, and the Lakers benefited because of it.
Getting more quality looks for his teammates made the Spurs' defense work a lot more, chasing five guys around the floor instead of one.
A more balanced attack is what kept the Lakers in this game and is exactly what they need going forward.
Jordan Hill: B
One of those players who got a lot more good looks was Jordan Hill, and it wasn't just from his own offensive rebounds, though he did grab four of those.
Hill caught the ball in the flow of the offense several times, finding it in the post or on cuts to the basket. He missed a few bunnies in his 7-of-16 performance, but he did put in 14 points.
Nick Young: A
Maybe that practice dust-up between Bryant and Nick Young did something for the latter, because he played an inspired game.
The swag was turned up to 11 early, as Young hit his first five three-point attempts. And he stayed hot the rest of the way, scoring on the majority of the opportunities he was given or created for himself.
He doesn't do a ton else when he's on the floor, but when those jumpers are falling, Young's appointment viewing.
Carlos Boozer: A
If he embraces this new role of spark plug off the bench, as he did Friday, Carlos Boozer can be valuable for the Lakers.
He feasted on the second-unit bigs, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. When he isn't tasked with defending starting 4s on the other end, he really produces in the other two thirds of the game.
Rest of Team: B
Boozer was joined off the bench by Jeremy Lin, who scored 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting and dished out eight assists. He looked more confident than he has at other times this season, something that needs to continue down the road.
Starting small forward Wesley Johnson was also solid, scoring 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and making all three of his three-point attempts.
The other two starters, Ed Davis and Ronnie Price, combined to score two points on 1-of-7 shooting.
San Antonio Spurs
Tim Duncan: A+
Tim Duncan is undoubtedly the NBA's Ponce De Leon, seemingly drinking from the Fountain of Youth before every game. His 19 points and 18 rebounds further solidified his double-double average, a feat that's never been accomplished by a 38-year-old.
All night, he seemed to be in the right position on every defensive rotation and missed shot, grabbing boards and using his great instincts to block two shots.
He was great offensively as well, displaying some of the post moves that have made him the focal point of San Antonio's offense for years. Late in the fourth quarter, he hit a hook shot off the backboard that took him past Jerry West for 18th in NBA history in scoring.
Tony Parker: C-
It was a quiet night for Tony Parker, who's trying to recapture his rhythm after sitting out the Spurs' last three games with a strained right hamstring.
He played just 18 minutes and scored five points on 2-of-5 shooting.
Parker didn't appear terribly hampered—his explosion was still there on a couple occasions—but he was clearly playing with more caution than usual.
Danny Green: B+
With Kawhi Leonard out, most of the wing scoring from the starting unit had to come from Danny Green. He put in 19 points, shooting 7-of-14 from the field.
He also did a decent job defensively on Bryant, forcing him into several contested jump shots. On this night, Bryant just happened to hit a couple of the tough looks.
Down the stretch, he was a little overaggressive, leading to some of the assist opportunities for Bryant, but you have to pick your poison with him.
Manu Ginobili: B
San Antonio really needed a spark with Leonard out and Parker limited, and Manu Ginobili certainly tried to provide it. He took 16 shots off the bench, but connected on just six on the way to his 18 points.
It's not a terrible shooting night, but a few of his eight three-point attempts were clearly rushed. He may have been better off trying to create for a teammate on one or two of them. You can't blame him, though, given the circumstance.
Rest of Team: B+
As is always the case with the Spurs, they got contributions from all over the roster.
Cory Joseph was dynamite while playing most of the minutes Parker would normally get. He's a menace defensively and knows when to attack on the other end. He finished with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
Rookie Kyle Anderson started in place of Kawhi Leonard. He looked every bit of his "Slo-Mo" nickname, but still managed six points, four rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes. Most of his production appears to be the result of simply knowing the game and being in the right place at the right time.
Marco Belinelli was also solid off the bench, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting.
Coming Up Next
The Lakers' next game will be on the road, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The Spurs will also be on the road, taking on the Denver Nuggets, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
