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Spurs vs Lakers
July 15, 2010
LAS VEGAS -- Six members of the San Antonio Spurs scored in double figures as the team handed the Los Angeles Lakers their fifth loss, 80-71, in the seventh day of action at the 2001 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. With the win, the Spurs improve to 3-0 in the desert classic while the Lakers finish their run winless.
A close game through the first half, San Antonio pulled away in the third quarter and never relinquished the lead, stretching it to as many as 13 points before settling for the nine-point victory.
San Antonio's Tyler Wilkerson and Gary Neal each scored 20 points in the win, with eight of Wilkerson's points coming in the game's final period. Their offensive effort was complimented by 10 points apiece from Alonzo Gee, Darryl Watkins and Dwayne Mitchell. Watkins also added 11 rebounds in the win. Gerald Green led the way for Los Angeles with 18 points, as Courtney Sims finished the game with 12.
The Spurs blew the game open the third quarter, going on a 10-0 run in the middle of the period en route to a ten point lead, 57-47, to end the period. Wilkerson and Neal combined for 12 points in the quarter, while the Spurs defensive effort held the Lakers to only 12 points in the third.
The Spurs and Lakers tangled in the first quarter, knotting in three ties and swapping the lead 6 times before finishing the period with 18 apiece. Gerald Green led all scorers in the first quarter with seven points on three-of-six shooting from the floor, while his Lakers finished the quarter shooting 54 percent from the field to San Antonio's 44 percent.
The hard fought game continued into the second quarter, with the teams trading buckets through much of the period. The Spurs led by as many as five points, but the Lakers never let up, tying the game at 34 with seven seconds to play in the half with a D.J. Strawberry layup and outscoring San Antonio 17-16 in the stanza. Strawberry scored six in the quarter, while teammate Devin Ebanks added nine in the period. Neal finished with nine points in the half, seven of which came in the second quarter.
San Antonio returns to action on Saturday, July 17, when the team takes on the L.A. Clippers at 5 p.m. PT in the COX Pavilion. The Lakers head back to Los Angeles this afternoon.
