Lakers Spurs
All of the games between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs this season were decided by five points or less. Reuters

2012-2013 NBA Season

It took the Los Angeles Lakers all 82 games to clinch a playoff, but they claimed the seventh seed with 45 wins. The San Antonio Spurs went 58-24, claiming the No.2 seed in the West. San Antonio took the season series 2-1, but lost the last meeting between the two, even after Kobe Bryant had been lost to a season-ending Achilles injury. Each team scored a total of 278 points in their three head-to-head matchups.

Lakers Team Stats

Points Per Game: 102.2 (6th)

Opponents Points Per Game: 101.0 (22nd)

Rebounds Per Game: 44.8 (4th)

Assists Per Game: 22.2 (17th)

Spurs Team Stats

Points Per Game: 103.0 (4th)

Opponents Points Per Game: 96.6 (11th)

Rebounds Per Game: 41.3 (21st)

Assists Per Game: 25.1 (11th)

Lakers Key Players

Dwight Howard: If the Lakers want to pull off the upset, Howard will have to be the best player in the series. In Orlando, the center won several playoff series by being a dominant force in the middle. The All-Star’s production was down for much of the year, but he seems to be peaking at the right time.

Pau Gasol: The veteran’s 17.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game in April indicate that he can still perform like an elite big man. Without Bryant or a completely healthy Steve Nash in the lineup, L.A. will have to overpower teams with their two seven-footers.

Spurs Key Players

Tony Parker: Through the first four months of the season, Parker was one of the most valuable players in the NBA. Since he injured his ankle in early March, he hasn’t looked like the same player. The Spurs need their point guard to return to his early-season form, and exploit a position in which they should have a distinct advantage.

Manu Ginobili: After coming back on the final day of the regular season, Ginobili may be the biggest x-factor in the entire playoffs. San Antonio knows it can expect good games from Tim Duncan. The club, however, can’t be sure of what it will get from the man who sat out for three weeks.

Series Schedule

Game 1: at San Antonio, Sunday, April 21, 3:30 p.m., ABC Game 2: at San Antonio, Wednesday, April 24, 9:30 p.m., TNT Game 3: at Los Angeles, Friday, April 26, 10:30 p.m., ESPN Game 4: at Los Angeles, Sun., April 28, 7:00 p.m., TNT Game 5: at San Antonio, Tuesday, April 30, TBD* Game 6: at Los Angeles, Thursday, May 2, TBD* Game 7: at San Antonio, Saturday., May 4, TBD*

Betting Odds

San Antonio -1100, Los Angeles +800

Prediction

San Antonio in seven

Los Angeles