Kobe Bryant pays fellow four-time NBA champion Tim Duncan a visit tonight. Both teams need the game: San Antonio has moved up in the standings the last two weeks, but they are just 3-11 against teams with a winning record. The Spurs need to prove they can beat the best teams in the league — perhaps Finley and Bonner will return to lend a timely hand.
The Lakers have hit a little rough patch and could use a big win to get moving in the right direction again. However Artest isn’t one hundred percent yet and Gasol remains day-to-day with the hamstring injury — which means that Kobe and his sore finger will have to shoulder more of the load. Kobe is never going to shy away from responsibility — that’s what makes him so great — but I wonder if not having the chance to give his finger some rest will haunt the Lakers come playoff time.
Needless to say, it should be a good one down in the Alamo City. These two teams dominated the past decade in the NBA. Between Bryant and Duncan they’ve won seven rings in ten years. But these guys aren’t finished yet. Who will be the first to win a championship in the next decade?
P.S. Spurs win 107-103