The San Antonio Spurs led wire to wire to destroy the Kobe Bryant-less Los Angeles Lakers, 99-85, to end their two-game losing at the AT&T Center against Los Angeles.

Coming into the game, Coach Byron Scott experimented with a whole new lineup, which included rookie Jordan Clarkson, Wayne Ellington, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Hill, and Robert Sacre.

About three minutes into the game, that lineup got torched by the defending champions, as the Spurs led 9-0 to start the game. Jordan Clarkson scored six early points to keep the Lakers close in the opening minutes, but the Spurs continued the shellacking to earn a 16-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Clarkson finished the game with 11 points, four assists, and three rebounds in his first career start. He was playing in his hometown which was an honor for him to get the start. Surprisingly, Jeremy Lin did not play in this game, as he got his first DNP-CD since February 2012.

After the game, Lin opted to only speak to one reporter, and then he left the building. Obviously, he was upset to be downgraded to third string.

Meanwhile, the game continued, and the Spurs kept dominating L.A. In the second half, the Lakers narrowed the deficit to 10, but Patty Mills and the rest of the Spurs bench mob poured in three pointers to keep the Lakers away.

The Spurs were able to hold on and win, 99-85, in a game where they never trailed.

As usual, the Spurs were led by the balanced scoring of the team. Tony Parker had 17 points and four assists to lead the way, while Kawhi Leonard recorded a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

The Spurs are back to an elite level with Leonard back into the lineup, as they have gone 4-1 in the last five games and are 19-8 overall with him in the lineup.

Manu Ginobili led the bench in scoring with his 15 points, while Cory Joseph added nine. Tim Duncan ended his night with 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks on 5 of 9 shooting in only 20 minutes of play. Shockingly, Gregg Popovich did not rest his star players even though this game was the second of a back to back.

For the Lakers, it was Nick Young who led the way with 17 points on 5 of 11 shooting. It seems like Young will have to be the catalyst on the offensive end for the Lakers now that Kobe Bryant is expected to miss the rest of the season. Wayne Ellington finished the night with 11 points, as Jordan Hill put in 10 points and five rebounds.

The new starting lineup could very well be temporary for Coach Scott since they struggled badly throughout the game. At this point, it seems like the Lakers will experiment a whole lot since the season seems to be going to waste.

After the game, Byron Scott touched a bit on the benching of Jeremy Lin. “It’s not like I’m not going to play him again,” Scott said. “Thought I’d get Ronnie a little bit more of a look tonight, I know what Jeremy can do. The next game it might be different.”

The Lakers will finally head back home after going 0-4 during their road trip and have now lost seven straight games. The Lakers play next on Sunday, January 25th, against the Houston Rockets.

The Spurs are also back in action on Sunday where they will host the Milwaukee Bucks.