On the first day the Lakers really needed Andrew Bynum he was on the other side of the country, recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his knee earlier Wednesday.
Bynum is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and after the Lakers have rolled on without him he might want to send them a DVD of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, to remind them of what they're missing.
Things were a lot different from the last time the Lakers played the Spurs. In the final regular-season meeting Pau Gasol convinced Phil Jackson to give him an extended run at guarding Tim Duncan solo. You wouldn't ask Gasol to be the bouncer at your nightclub, but his long arms can serve as a deterrent -- or maybe just a distraction -- to Duncan. At least they did on that day, when Duncan shot 6-for-19.
It didn't work out that way for the Lakers on Wednesday. The Lakers stuck to their old policy of waiting until the fourth quarter to double-team Duncan, and he had his way with Gasol and his teammates for most of the night, finishing with 30 points on 12-for-25 shooting, and 18 rebounds.
"He was consistent during the game and he was able to feel a little too comfortable, I think," Gasol said. "Hopefully next time I will give him a little more trouble, make him put the ball on the floor a little more. Don't let him take that easy jumper."
It will all depend on Gasol, because Bynum won't be back in a Laker jersey until training camp.
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