Lakers vs. Spurs Final Score: San Antonio Spurs Use Steady Defense To Push Past Los Angeles, 91-79

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 91-79 in Game One of their First Round Series Sunday afternoon.

Led by Tim Duncan, the Spurs forced the Lakers to struggle to score and sealed the win with their tight defense in the second half. The Lakers could not find any offensive rhythm and were held to only 41.1 % shooting and shot just 3-15 from three-point land.

Although the Spurs led by eight points at half time, the Lakers cut the deficit to four points in the Third Quarter.

Then Manu Ginboli happened.

Ginobli proved to be the difference maker in the game, hitting two huge three pointers down the stretch of the Third Quarter to push the lead to thirteen points. Manu scored eighteen points in just nineteen minutes and helped the Spurs gain a 1-0 advantage in the series.

As for the Lakers, they showed just how much they miss Kobe Bryant and his unbelievable scoring abilities. The Lakers failed to score more than twenty-two points in any of the four quarters and could not hit open shots all afternoon. The good news is Steve Nash looked relatively healthy and will only help the Lakers get back on track at the offensive end. Look for Nash to be more effective next game as he is trying to get back in rhythm.

These two teams get back to action in Game 2, Wednesday April 23rd at 9:30 ET on TNT.