But the biggest statement of the night, hate it or love it, was by the Lakers. The Lakers walked into San Antonio, who boasts the league's best record, and comes out with a 15-point win. The Lakers were led by Kobe and Gasol, who combined for 47, and Andrew Bynum's 17 boards. Odom also chipped in 15 points and dished out 6 assists. The Lakers, who have won their 7th straight game, are now only 1 win behind the Mavs and 6.5 wins behind San Antonio.
Sure it sounds like San Antonio is holding a huge lead in the West, but this win was not about who is going to finish first in the West, it's about who will go to the Finals. The Lakers, tonight, proved why they can go all the way for a 3-peat by beating the Spurs in San Antonio. People should also note that San Antonio has lost only 2 games at home before their loss to the Lakers.
The Lakers are playing their best basketball of the season. The All Star Game gave them the boost they needed to make a run, and extend it. Now, the Lakers are looking into finishing second in the West, make a run to the Western Conference Finals, where they will most likely face San Antonio. At this point, anything can happen.
Don't get it twisted though, it's not like the Lakers are counting on their offense to get them the championship. L.A. has been playing excellent defense as of late. The Lakers forced the Spurs to shoot 36% from the floor and 33.3% from behind the arc (just after the Spurs hit 17 3-pointers on Miami).
The statement the Lakers are making is simple: they are ready. They had a slow start to the season but are now building momentum going into the playoffs, where anything can happen.
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