LA team facing elimination after third consecutive loss to Spurs in best-of-seven playoff series
The San Antonio Spurs handed the Los Angeles Lakers their worst home NBA playoff loss in club history, crushing the injury-hit Lakers 120-89 to push them to the brink of elimination.
Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs shoots over Chris Duhon of the Los Angeles Lakers in the quarter-finals of the NBA Playoffs at Staples Center, California (inset)Kobe Bryant. PIC/AFP
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Tim Duncan scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds and point guard Tony Parker contributed 20 points for San Antonio, who took a 3-0 stranglehold on the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.
Elsewhere in the West, the Golden State Warriors erased a 12-point halftime deficit then held on in the furious final minutes for a 110-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Stephen Curry scored 29 points despite an ankle injury, and handed out 11 assists for the Warriors, who took a 2-1 lead in the series.u00a0Denver’s Wilson Chandler drained a three-pointer with 16.5 seconds left to trim Golden State’s lead to 109-108.
The Warriors called timeout with 9.4 seconds remaining, but when they then tried to inbounds the ball they were called for a five-second violation.u00a0But Denver couldn’t take advantage as Ty Lawson turned the ball over on the Nuggets’ next possession with 5.3 seconds left.
Golden State’s Harrison Barnes made the second of two free throws to give the Warriors a two-point lead with 3.7 seconds left and Denver guard Andre Iguodala’s desperate shot from near halfcourt bounced off the rim as time expired.
There was no such drama in Los Angeles, where the Spurs connected on 61.2 percent of their shots from the field. DeJuan Blair added 13 points off the bench, Kawhi Leonard scored 12 and Danny Green chipped in 11 for the Spurs, who will try to wrap up the series on Sunday at the Lakers’ Staples Center arena.
History against Lakers
No NBA team has come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven post-season series.u00a0Pau Gasol had a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, but the Lakers could not overcome the absences of superstar Kobe Bryant, former Most Valuable Player Steve Nash and Steve Blake.
Bryant is out after tearing his left Achilles tendon in the last week of the regular season. Blake has a right hamstring strain and Nash was sidelined with a right hamstring strain and recurring hip problem — despite receiving pain-killing epidural injections in a bid to play.
Eastern Conference
New York 90-76 Boston (NY lead series 3-0)
Western Conference
Golden State 110- 108 Denver (Golden State lead series 2-1)u00a0
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