Spurs/Lakers Game 1 Live Blog

LA was 30-11 at home during the Regular season, and are 5-0 at home during this year's playoffs (8-2 overall during this year's playoffs).

San Antonio was just 22-19 on the road during the Regular season. SA is 2-4 on the road this postseason.

LA has the edge in that category. But, San Antonio has the experience. This should be a very good series.

I'm waiting for Dre to show up so we can rename this to "Spurs/Lakers Play-by-Play Blog"

Bryant v.s. Parker, Duncan v.s. Odom, Ginobili v.s. Fisher. Can't get any better than this.

Oneflydude's conspiracy post has got my wheels turning...

Could the NBA be in the midst of a conspiracy right now? Think about how all of the sudden the Celtics and Lakers (probably the biggest rivalry in basketball history) are on the verge of making it to the finals...

The Spurs and Pistons are two great teams, but what is defense and hard-working team basketball? It is "boring" to many fans. Having a Lakers vs Celtics championship would be huge for the ratings; which is what the NBA needs right now...

Anybody have any thoughts?

Duncan is off to a fast start, which doesn't surprise me at all. Duncan has always been great in the playoffs, and his Spurs have a 6-point lead as we're nearing the end of QTR 1. Duncan: 7 points, 5 rebounds.

Duncan is a rebound machine!!

The Key so far: Kobe is scoreless in just 9 minutes of play. He has taken just 1 shot, and has 4 assists, yet LA is down only 1.

Radmanovic leads LA with 10 points, and 2 boards. He is currently sitting on the bench with Kobe.

As far as this consipracy theory thing goes, I will choose not to believe it simply for my own convenience and just so that I can increase my already torrid bitterness over the Knicks being picked number 6 last night. What I don't understand is why the NBA dosen't have the live drawings of the lottery balls in front of the world as so to prevent this theory completely. I have to admit though, there is something within me that wonders how the Bulls got the 1st fricking pick in the draft with a 1.7% chance of doing so. I'll put it this way, there better not be, or I WILL BE BURNING!!!

Why is Kobe, Derek Fisher, Radmanovic, and Gasol all on the bench? What, do the Lakers plan on resting their starters until the 4th QTR or something? 'Cause that would be a bad idea. But, they have been able to keep up thus far, with 8 minutes to go in the half (game tied 33-33).

Phil Jackson believes in his second unit and they have been huge this postseason. A strong 2nd unit is a staple of Phil Jackson's championship teams.

The 36-year old SG, Brent Barry, enters the game for Ginobili.

Spurs with a 6-point lead. Kurt Thomas is now in the game, and scores his first basket. Kobe still scoreless!!

I don't believe it - AGM is live blogging a Laker game!?!?! It only took forever to get them their own thread.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Kobe is being too selfless.

This is odd...

• Kobe may go scoreless in the first half.

• Duncan may have a double-double in the first half.

The Spurs have carried their momentum from Game 7 right into this one and the energy has been sapped out of the building!

And it's halftime... San Antonio leads this one 51-43. Kobe with 2 first half points, and Tim Duncan leads SA with 16 points, and 9 boards.

End of the Half! Spurs 51, Lakers 43!!! ArmchairGM Halftime Report, first half stats, analysis and we'll examine how much I give a damn about David Cook winning American Idol. All on the ArmchairGM Halftime Report.

And apparently I'm not alone here.

Tim Duncan has come out like he is out to approve a point in his battle with Gasol.

Keys for LA in the second half:

• GET THE BALL TO KOBE

• GET THE BALL TO KOBE

• GET THE BALL TO KOBE

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, GET THE BALL TO KOBE!!

Haha. On a more serious note, the Lakers need to limit turnovers, and get some production from the bench.

Has anyone ever wondered if Will Ferrell could compete in the NBA? I just saw that Old Spice commercial (AGAIN!) with Will Ferrell, and thought that he looks like he's got the size to play a little B-ball.

No question that Kobe needs to step up here. AN MVP cannot have 2 points at the end of the half with only 3 shot attempts. They have to limit Tim Duncan by bringing more help in the post.

OOOH man. Bruce Bowen with the 3, and the 3rd QTR is officially underway.

The Lakers seem to have a lack of energy and you got wonder if it's from the layoff.

Duncan continues his ass-kicking here in the 3rd QTR, now completing the double-double (18 points, 10 boards). He is the key to SA's playoff run, obviously.

Anyone ever heard of this guy Fabricio Oberta? Or am I the only one who's never heard of him??

Kobe should know by now that he must get to the basket before hoisting up jumpshots on an already off night.

The Lakers seem intimidated by the Spurs, they are not playing with the swagger they did to finish off the Jazz.

Another Laker turnover. They need to get it together, QUICK! That was possibly the biggest flop I have ever seen from Tony Parker. And the refs actually buy it. Shameful...

Phil can't bear to see any more and call a timeout. Crowd is COMPLETELY OUT OF THE GAME!

The Spurs may be letting off some steam from spending a night on a grounded plane.

This is getting to be laughable on the Lakers part. Wasn't this supposed to be an evenly matched game?? LA is underachieving, big time.

This game is getting ugly, Parker can extend the lead to 18. I don't understand why Kobe is becoming a jumpshooter in this game. This is something I expect from Carmelo, not from the MVP.

Gasol cannot handle Duncan! This is getting embarassing. Jack Nicholson must be ready to leave by now. Kobe scores, but on a JUMPSHOT!!!

Los Angeles is shooting an atrocious 38% from the field tonight, with 8 turnovers, and has had 6 of their shots blocked. Kobe still only has 4 points. BUT, there's still a whole QTR and a half to go. That's the good news for LA...

Lakers must get this game to single digits by the end of the quarter!

Bryant FINALLY DRIVES TO THE LANE! This will open up the offense for the Lakers.

SASHA CUTS IT TO 8!!!! WE HAVE A GAME NOW!

What a play by Gasol off the pass by Bryant. And THE CROWD HAS WOKEN UP FROM IT'S SLEEP! 6 pt game!!

Uh-Oh. Someone has motivated Kobe, and LA. This is no longer embarrassing, and LA has made it a game! Hmmmm, not sure if I should stay up for the entire game or not, now that it's getting exciting...

The Spurs are self-destructing. Ginoboli is not having a good game tonight.

AND ON CUE...A 3 POINTER!

Maybe LA should keep shooting 3's. They are shooting nearly 60% behind the 3-point line so far.

End of 3 quarters of play, It is the Spurs 72 and the Lakers 65. Throw 4 fingers in the air!! 4th quarter when we return.

LA with a 7-point lead at the end of the 3rd.

Key players:

Duncan- 22 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists

Bryant- 13 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists

Kobe, and LA surprisingly outscore Duncan's Spurs in the third QTR. We are just 12 minutes away from the end of game 1!!

I think these are the times when the Lakers will miss an Andrew Bynum. They would have a much better gameplan for Duncan with both him and Gasol.

WHAT A PLAY BY BRYANT! LEAD DOWN TO 5!!

What a shot by Duncan with Turiaf in his grill!

So, I'll probably keep watching the game. But, I think I'm done on here for tonight. But don't worry, I'll be back for tomorrow night's Game 2 between Boston and Detroit.

Lamar Odom should be getting more touches this game. Phil Jackson will definitely have this in mind for the rest of the series.

I'll be out too. Peace!

OK, guys. I'll take over then.

"Hello folks. Welcome back to game 1 of the 2008 NBA Western Conference Finals. I'm Romi Ezzo and with is my partner.... *looks around* Christ. I can't find one. THE HELL WITH IT!"

It's currently 81-79 in favor of the Spurs.

...And it's tied! 81-81. 3:11 on the clock!

Boy, has Duncan proved that he is one of the greatest players in the game today. 28 points, 16 rebounds! Now THAT is a power forward.

Tony Parker loses the ball! Stolen by Derek Fisher... the pass to Bryant, and he's fouled by Bruce Bowen. The Black Mamba makes both to give the Lakers a 2 point lead.

Bryant with another 2 points to give him a total of 25 on the night. 85-81, Lakers!

Ok, I'm back. I thought I had to go somewhere, that's why I left. The floor is yours, Romi. I'll throw in my comments.

Tony Parker's layup... BLOCKED by Paul Gasol! Bryant has it! The shot by Fisher... NO GOOD!

And it goes back to San Antonio. Fisher draws a foul on Manu Ginobili.

Ginobili is at the line: he makes the first one... and... he makes the second one. 85-83, LA.

Key defensive sequence for the Lakers.

KOBE DELIVERS!! TIMEOUT SAN ANTONIO! It looked like Bowen flopped. Good no call by the refs.

There's 41.7 seconds left on the clock after a Tim Duncan [second chance] bucket. Nicely done. We're all tied up at 85! Kobe another 2 to give him 27 on the night! And the Lakers are back in the lead 87-85! San Antonio calls a timeout.

AND LOOK WHO'S IN THE GAME! ROBERT HORRY!!

GOOD CLOSE OUT D BY SASHA THAT TIME!

What a way for the Lakers to make it this far, as they were down by 51-43 by the first half, and 72-65 by the end of the 3rd!

ICE COLD WATER IN SASHA'S VEINS! LAKERS ON THE VERGE OF A GREAT COMEBACK WIN IN GAME 1!

7.3 seconds left! 89-85, LA! Key shots made there by Vujacic, as it was getting down to the nitty gritty. Now it's almost a sure thing that LA has won.

FINLEY WITH THE AIRBALL, ODOM FIRES IT DOWN THE COURT!!! BALL GAME!! LAKERS WIN!

AND HEARTBREAK CITY FOR THE SPURS! THEY CHOKED THIS ONE AWAY! Their offense just disappeared down the stretch!

You know, by looking at the stats, it seems like the Spurs took was too many low percentage shots. They had 15 missed 3 point attempts (5 made), and were 12 of 17 from the free throw line. It's the little things that could turn a game around. If you were wondering the Lakers were 15-18 from the line, and shot 10 less from beyond the arc.

They did a great job on Tim Duncan down the stretch. And they did an excellent job defending the 3 point line in their comeback. AND ONCE KOBE started being aggressive, it opened things up for his teammates. Kobe played MVP-type ball in the second half. This is a huge win for them. The Spurs had the game on the scoreboard and in their tempo even in the comeback. 89-85 would be a type of game the Spurs win, instead it's the other way around. Killer loss for the Spurs. Lakers did not play their best ball until their comeback.

But if any team can come back from a loss, it's them.