1. Time Not On Lakers' Side In Race To Finish

By Ethan Sherwood Strauss
TrueHoop Network.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The rain was falling harder than gravity usually throws it, which is why the Lakers were late coming into Oracle Arena. If there was flooding, perhaps Mike Brown's crew could have stolen the sandbag-sized packs used to ice Andrew Bynum's legs, as his knees were capped by giant frozen extensions in pregame.

A chaotic beginning for a team still adjusting to new personnel. When asked about why the second-place Spurs rest their starters while the Lakers keep giving theirs major minutes, Brown cited San Antonio's continuity, adding: "I rest 'em in practice, but it's harder for me and for us to do it in games because right now, we're in search mode. They're cruising."

This Lakers' 104-101 victory seemed more like swerving and swearing than Gregg Popovich cruise control. There was not much to celebrate, considering that the win came against a Golden State team that had every reason to lose. The Warriors will only get their first-round pick if it's a top-seven selection, and the team has lost three starters via trade and injury. And yet, in a building flush with purple, Los Angeles had difficulty fending off a Dominic McGuire-led squad.

Suddenly, the Lakers appear to be lagging behind the Spurs, an odd circumstance considering how Los Angeles has made three NBA Finals trips since the last San Antonio championship in 2007. But the Spurs know themselves and therefore own time in a way the Lakers do not. Brown must feverishly experiment as the hourglass loses sand, as playoff imminence grows by the day. And some experiments are better received than others. Bynum found unintentional rest for his heavy knees when he heaved a third-quarter 3-pointer. Brown was not happy, Bynum was benched. He returned briefly in the fourth, but was again forced to sit.

In the locker room, Bynum was defiant, saying, "I took one (3), I'mma take some more." The lumbering center also expressed a wish to "expand my game."

The locker room differed on the necessity of such wing-spreading from Bynum. Pau Gasol did not approve, saying, "That's not his game. Hopefully it's one bad game. It's out of the way," and repeating a need to get the team "on the same page."

Metta World Peace had a sanguine reaction: "I thought it was a good shot. 'Cause he can shoot. I seen him hit 3s in practice. I put my hands up, thought it was going in!"

Kobe Bryant had a nuanced opinion, empathizing with Bynum's need to test "the limits of his game." He explained dynamics within the coaching staff and how those apply to the young Lakers center: "(The coaches) have a lot of youth. They're not used to dealing with players of Drew's ambition, at this stage of his career."

When I asked Kobe if he'd feel differently if Bynum hoisted from deep during a playoff game, Bryant smiled, and crisply replied, "No."

If the Lakers are limited, it is because they lack time to grasp what their limits are.

Ethan Sherwood Strauss covers the NBA for HoopSpeak, part of the TrueHoop Network. Follow him on Twitter.

Dimes past: March 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23-24 | 25 | 26

2. Around The Association

L.A. Lakers	104	Final Recap \| Box score	101	G.S. Warriors

Defining moment: With 1:04 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Lakers down a bucket, Kobe Bryant caught the ball at the wing, drew the double team, dribbled away from it and fired a contested jumper to tie the game at 97. He would sink another jumper with 32 seconds left to put the Lakers ahead for good.

MVP: Pau Gasol had a huge night on the boards (17 rebounds) and also did a terrific job of converting shots in the fourth (19 total points) to keep the Lakers afloat. His scoring helped set the stage for Kobe's heroics late.

X factor: Matt Barnes (18 points, 10 rebounds) was a huge contributor with his 3-point shooting (3-for-5), which helped free up Gasol on the interior and Kobe at the wing.

-- John Krolik, Cavs: The Blog

Houston Rockets	81	Final Recap \| Box score	90	Dallas Mavericks

MVP: Rick Carlisle. Luis Scola and the Rockets were rolling in the first half. After halftime, the Mavericks coach countered by doubling the Argentinian. The Rockets' offense grinded to a halt and the Mavs never looked back.

LVP: Courtney Lee, who shot 4-for-13 overall from the floor. The Rockets needed more from their shooting guard with Kevin Martin already out.

That was ... expected: After Tuesday night, the Mavs have now won the last six meetings in Dallas between the two teams.

-- Rahat Huq, Red94

Minn. Timberwolves	86	Final Recap \| Box score	93	Memphis Grizzlies

MVP: The Wolves lost this one but Kevin Love was the only reason they even had a prayer: 28 points and 11 boards, four of them offensive. Marreese Speights (18 points on 8-for-11 shooting) is a close second.

X factor: Memphis scored 22 fast-break points, mainly as a result of their swarming interior D. They forced the Wolves to take tough outside jumpers, and those long jumpers turned into easy points on the other end.

That was ... pretty mediocre: Though that's not terribly surprising for a midseason game in a lockout-shortened season. In games like this, the team with the most energy usually wins. Memphis just played with a little extra zest.

-- Benjamin Polk, A Wolf Among Wolves

San Antonio Spurs	107	Final Recap \| Box score	100	Phoenix Suns

That was ... nostalgic: With David Stern in attendance, the Suns and Spurs played a thrilling game for three quarters before San Antonio's defense turned it up a notch in the fourth, just like old times.

MVP: Tim Duncan once again destroyed the Suns with 26 points and 11 boards. Even after all these years, Phoenix had no answer for the Big Fundamental in the post.

X factor: Filling in for an injured Grant Hill (knee inflammation), Shannon Brown delivered his best game as a Sun with a career-high 32 points in a starting role.

-- Michael Schwartz, Valley of the Suns

OKC Thunder	109	Final Recap \| Box score	95	Por. Trail Blazers

MVP: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both did their thing, but James Harden (21 points on 6-for-7 shooting) was ultra-efficient from the field, was Oklahoma City's primary playmaker, and took excellent care of the basketball. It just seems unfair that the Thunder have the luxury of having a player like Harden run their second unit.

X factor: The Thunder's bench play is simply absurd. OKC went on a huge run to give it a double-digit lead with Durant sitting, and Harden's control over the second unit is beautiful to watch. This is a team that will punish you for the full 48 minutes.

That was ... a ray of hope: Recently bought-out forward J.J. Hickson made his first eight shots from the floor, and showed good energy on offense and some refined moves around the basket. As someone who covers the Cavaliers, I have one piece of advice for Blazer fans: don't get too excited. J.J. Hickson was built to jump, dunk and shatter hopes.

-- John Krolik, Cavs: The Blog

Atlanta Hawks	101	Final Recap \| Box score	108	Milwaukee Bucks

MVP: Monta Ellis easily had his best game in a Bucks uniform since being traded to the team on March 15, finishing with 33 points and eight assists and scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter.

X factor: Turnovers proved to be a death knell for Atlanta. In a winnable game, the Hawks coughed it up 22 times.

Defining moment: With 30 points and 18 rebounds against the Bucks, Josh Smith notched his 174th career double-double, passing Dominique Wilkins for fifth on the Hawks' all-time list.

-- Eddy Rivera, Magic Basketball

Cleveland Cavaliers	85	Final Recap \| Box score	103	Philadelphia 76ers

MVP: Relegated to mop-up duty or worse since Evan Turner's ascension, Jodie Meeks got his second straight start on account of Andre Iguodala's aching knee and took full advantage. The sweet-shooting, if limited, former Kentucky Wildcat hit seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points. No shame in being a one-trick pony, so long as it's a really good trick.

X factor: Philadelphia loves the deep 2 -- only Charlotte shoots more 16-to-23 footers per game -- but it doesn't always love the Sixers back. Against the depleted Cavs frontcourt, the home team tried a different tack. Philly scored 54 in the paint, 19 above their season average and 30 more than Cleveland, and shot 50 percent overall. It's easier when you're closer, isn't it?

That was ... fun: There probably isn't a greater pleasure, in the sporting sphere, than watching a good young player become a great one. Cleveland fans have had a rough couple years (decades? centuries?), but at least they've got Kyrie Irving. The ROY shoo-in struggled (12 points on 4-for-13 shooting), but sure looked good doing it.

-- Tom Sunnergren, Philadunkia

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3. Tuesday's Best

Ellis

Monta Ellis, Bucks: Lock your mopeds up, folks -- Monta is on the prowl. For the first time in his new digs, the newest Buck lit up the scoreboard like he used to do by the Bay, scoring 33 points on 15-for-24 shooting and adding eight assists in a 108-101 win over the Hawks.

4. Tuesday's Worst

Bynum

Andrew Bynum, Lakers: Or should this go to Mike Brown? Either way, Bynum's night will be remembered more for what he did on the bench (lounging back with his leg stretched out while the Lakers struggled to fend off the Warriors) than he did on the court (11 points, five rebounds) after playing only five minutes and 17 seconds of the second half in L.A.'s 104-101 win.

6. Quote Of The Night

"I just sat where he (Brown) put me."

"I just wanted to go in a different direction."

-- Andrew Bynum and Mike Brown, respectively, on why Bynum played just over five minutes in the second half.

8. Tweet Of The Night

Artest on Bynum's three: "I thought it was a good shot"
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) March 28, 2012

9. Stat Check

By Elias Sports Bureau

Bryant

Kobe Bryant scored 30 points in the Lakers' 104-101 win over the Warriors, raising his career point total to 29,283 -- all, of course, for the Lakers. That eclipsed the number of points that Michael Jordan scored for the Bulls (29,277). Bryant's total now ranks second in NBA history in points scored for one team, trailing only Karl Malone, who scored 36,374 points for the Jazz. That's one of the career scoring records that was never held by either Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; the holders of the mark immediately prior to Malone were Jordan, John Havlicek, and Jerry West.

Bryant has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 25 games against the Warriors. That's tied for the longest current streak of 20-point games by any player against any NBA team: LeBron James has scored 20-plus in each of his last 25 games against Boston. And it's the longest streak for any Lakers player against any team since Jerry West had 44 consecutive games of 20-plus points against the Knicks from 1963 to 1969.