Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan will never face off against each other again. Friday night was the last matchup between the two NBA legends and sure-fire Hall of Famers who have combined for ten championships. The two have also won a combined five NBA Finals MVPs and three regular season MVP awards.

Playing without All-Star Kawhi Leonard for the second night in a row, and a night after losing in the same arena to the Los Angeles Clippers, the San Antonio Spurs topped the Los Angeles Lakers 119-113.

Tim Duncan During Shoot Around (USA Today)
Tim Duncan During Shootaround (USA Today)

Spurs Too Much For Young Lakers

San Antonio had seven players score in double-figures tonight, and were without arguably their best player in Leonard. Tim Duncan had 12 points and 13 boards. Tony Parker had 25 points on 9-16 from the field with six assists as well.

Kyle Anderson had 14 points, LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and 8 boards, and Patty Mills added 15 points and 7 assists off the bench. Boris Diaw and Rasual Butler chipped in 10 points. San Antonio shot 54 percent from the field on Friday night, doing this all without their leading scorer.

San Antonio moved up a game in the race for first place in the Western Conference with the win thanks to Damian Lillard scoring 51 points to help knock off the Warriors.

Kobe Bryant Leads The Way For The Lakers

The Black Mamba had 25 points on 10-25 shooting, adding on 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Kobe Bryant was tied with Tony Parker for the game high in points. Julius Randle added yet another double-double, with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Jordan Clarkson, who participated in the Rising Stars Game this past weekend, had 20 points and 6 assists.

Lou Williams had 21 points on 7-12 shooting, while Brandon Bass and Nick Young had 10 points apiece. D'Angelo Russell had just 8 points and 3 assist on 2-5 shooting. The Lakers as a team shot shot 49 percent from the field, but were out-rebounded 39-36. The Spurs also had 30 assists to the Lakers 20 dimes. The Lakers also had 17 turnovers on the night.

Kobe Bryant dislocated his finger late in the fourth quarter. He went over to the sidelines and had trainer Gary Vitti pop his finger back into place. Bryant then came back into the game and hit a three-pointer.

What Is Next

The Lakers drop to 11-45 on the season, and the Spurs improve to 46-9, just a few games behind Golden State.

The Lakers head to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Sunday afternoon, while the Spurs will take on the Phoenix Suns on Sunday to continue their Rodeo road trip.

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About the author
Matt Wadleigh
I am a 25 year old college, currently at Fresno State. I am from southern California and am a huge sports fan. I had always wanted to be an NFL head coach growing up, and now aspire to be a sports writer. Chargers, Padres, and Lakers are my teams!