Lakers Move Ahead in the West
The Los Angeles Lakers took sole possession of the Western Conference lead Suns.Kobe Bryant had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the host Lakers routed the defending N.B.A. champion San Antonio Spurs, 106-85, for their seventh victory in eight games.
“It was a big game for us,” Bryant said. “It was another step in the right direction. Going into the playoffs is all about momentum. Now, we just have to take it up another notch once the playoffs start.”
The Lakers (56-25), who clinched their first Pacific Division championship in four years and at least the No. 3 seed in the West on Friday night, assured themselves of at least a second-place finish in the conference. They are a half-game ahead of New Orleans for the top spot in the conference.
A victory against visiting Sacramento on Tuesday night in the regular-season finale would put the Lakers in position to be the top seed, giving them home-court advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Tony Parker had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the Spurs (54-26), who lost for the third time in 13 games.
The Spurs played without their leading scorer, Manu Ginóbili, who missed his second game because of a strained left groin. Robert Horry has not played since March 21 because of a bruised left knee. Horry has been a member of seven championship teams — two with Houston, three with the Lakers and two with San Antonio.
“I’m very concerned about Robert,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. “I don’t know when we’re going to get him back. The knee’s really bothering him.”
PISTONS 91, RAPTORS 84 Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey combined for 18 fourth-quarter points as Detroit beat visiting Toronto.
The loss dropped the Raptors (40-40) into a tie with Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed with two games left. The sixth seed will play Orlando in the first round; the seventh seed will face Detroit.
The score was tied at 65-65 early in the fourth, and the Pistons had all five starters on the bench, having already clinched the second seed.