– TV: FSNSW.

– Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350.

– Spurs injury report: None.

– Lakers injury report: Kobe Bryant (tenosynovitis, left shin) is out. Jordan Hill (sprained MCL, right knee) is questionable.

– The Spurs and Lakers will face each other three times in the next 10 days.

– San Antonio is 23-4 at the AT&T Center. The Lakers are 23-6 at home but a mere 13-16 on the road.

– The Spurs are 26-11 against above .500 teams.

– Point guard Ramon Sessions will be asked to handle Kobe’s strenuous work load tonight. The Lakers are 9-6 after the deal with Cleveland and 7-4 since his inclusion into the starting lineup.

– Devin Ebanks (7.8 PER) will be starting at small forward for the third consecutive night. He’s averaged 29 minutes, nine points, three rebounds off 44.4 percent shooting.

– Matt Bonner needs two 3-pointers to Michael Finley for 4th on Spurs’ all-time list.

– The benefits of two days rest, despite the national medias persistent qualms, are tangible for Tim Duncan. He averages 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds with ample time to heal.

– The Lakers are a top heavy team. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol both average over 35 minutes, respectively.

– Bynum has recorded 15 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds; Los Angeles is 8-7 in those games.

– In the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime — also defined as “clutch” — Bynum scores 29.5 points per 48 minutes with a 82.1 field goal percentage.

– The Lakers — seventh in offensive rebounding rate — are 7-7 when they corral 15-plus offensive rebounds.

– When the Lakers allow their opponent to shoot 43 percent or less, they are 23-6. The Lakers are also 29-8 when they shoot 45 percent or better from the field.

– The Lakers have been outscored by 9.9 points per 100 possessions in their two games without Kobe.

– The Lakers are 22-5 when they surpass their season average of 22 assists.

– 44.3 percent of the Lakers’ shots are inside of nine feet. The Lakers happen to convert from the rim and from 3-9 feet at an above-average rate.

– The Lakers have turned the ball over more than their opponent in 12 straight games.

– Los Angeles is 30th in steals per game (5.8) and 27th in 3-point percentage (31.6 percent).

– Like the Spurs, the Lakers do an excellent job in playing defense without fouling. They average 17.4 personal fouls a game, good for third behind Chicago and the aforementioned Spurs.

– Opposing teams attempt 22.9 shots from 16-23 feet — league average is 19.9 –, generally considered as the least efficient shot in basketball. They allow 23.9 shots at the rim compared to league average 24.7.

– In three games against the Lakers last year, Tony Parker averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 assists and 51 percent shooting.

Oklahoma City Thunder (35-12, 6-4 L10)

The Thunder have been the incumbent for as long as I can remember. You probably already know that they excel in most statistical categories. So I won’t go there. But, if Serge Ibaka isn’t protecting the rim and making up for defensive breakdowns on the perimeter, are the Thunder really that intimidating? The difference between OKC and the Spurs is primarily in their fourth quarter offense. OKC strays from their offensive sets — why not more Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook pick-and-pops? — instead relying on Durant and Westbrook to bail them out in isolation sets. San Antonio doesn’t do that. And that’s where I wouldn’t feel too confident if I was a Thunder fan.

Los Angeles Lakers (29-18, 6-4 L10)

I really do not want to see this team play the Spurs in a playoff series. Especially if we don’t have home court advantage. In another productive (ugh) trade deadline, the Lakers sent veteran Derek Fisher, the expendable Luke Walton and a couple of inconsequential late draft picks in exchange for Jordan Hill and Ramon Sessions. They filled a need (starting point guard) and filled in some depth behind the dominant tandem of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. They went from aging playoff team to potential Finals contending team in about two hours. Do I need to tell you that their offense, and not their strong defense, has scored 100+ points in six of their last eight games?

Memphis Grizzlies (25-19, 6-4 L10)

Zach Randolph is back! Wait, that’s not a good thing. This Grizzlies team is primed for another playoff run mostly because of Z-Bo and Marc Gasol. Gasol’s interior passing and Randolph’s savvy high post game are tough to stop mostly because their skills complement each other so well. Hey, at least they don’t have Darrell Arthur, Shane Battier or Sam Young this year (Had to end on a good note. I, too, still have a bitter taste in my mouth).

Los Angeles Clippers (26-20, 4-6 L10)

What’s going with the Clippers? Their surprisingly low pace, the brilliance of Chris Paul and the overall talent from this team is usually good enough, on most nights, to beat the average NBA team. In their last eight losses, Lob City has shown a striking propensity to lose close games and the inability to shoot the basketball. And aside from DeAndre Jordan there really isn’t anyone capable of protecting the rim. That needs to be fixed or else this team will be in danger of falling through the cracks.

Dallas Mavericks (27-21, 5-5 L10)

Maybe the injury to Brendan Haywood is really affecting them, but the Mavericks have been struggling defensively. That’s a big problem considering they have a below-average offense. The Mavs defense has posted plus 100 defensive ratings in 11 of their last 13 games. That’s not a good sign.

Denver Nuggets (26-21, 6-4 L10)

Denver is a fun team. One of my favorite teams to watch. Their diverse roster and exhilarating pace really entice me. I’m not so sure how they’ll fare in a playoff series, though. I just don’t feel overly confident in their frontline to be good enough. But any team that can go 10+ deep (especially this year) and offer many different lineup combinations can win this year.

Houston Rockets (25-22, 4-6 L10)

The Rockets are a better team than Utah. In my opinion. They are slightly better offensively and considerably better defensively. While the Jazz are bullying opposing teams down low, the Rockets have struggled to do almost everything associated with good basketball. Defensively, suspect. Offensively, solid, but it still hasn’t been enough to sufficiently alleviate their defensive shortcomings. In the end, I still like Houston to sneak into the No. 8 seed. I was a big proponent of the Marcus Camby trade because it grants them financial flexibility next year and creates a dominant defensive tandem at the center position. Give them some time. Then we’ll talk.

Utah Jazz (24-22, 7-3 L10)

Considering the Western Conference is going through a bit of a transition and teams have fallen to earth, this has granted a huge opportunity for this inexperienced Jazz team (average age of 26.1 years). On Mar. 5, Utah was 3.5 games back of the No. 8 seed. After a couple of impressive wins against the Thunder and Lakers, the Jazz have closed their deficit to a mere 0.5 games. The Jazz have accomplished this by ratcheting up their offensive efficiency, preventing turnovers and grabbing a lot of offensive rebounds. Their strength is their multi-faceted frontline — Derrick Favors, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter, Paul Millsap — and the ability to mix and match other frontlines with relative impunity. For them to legitimately stake a claim at the No. 8 seed, this team has to continue to create extra possessions because their 23rd ranked defense leaves a lot to be desired.