LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers look to ride the momentum of Derek Fisher's dramatic shot and end the brief reign of the San Antonio Spurs when the teams meet in Game Six of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Los Angeles won its third straight game in the series and ended San Antonio's 17-game home winning streak with Thursday's 74-73 victory on Fisher's jumper at the buzzer. The shot gives the Lakers the opportunity to close out the Spurs at the Staples Center, something San Antonio did to them last season.
San Antonio never faced elimination in winning championships in 1999 and 2003 to bookend three titles for Los Angeles. The Spurs have lost four straight just once this season, from November 28-December 3.
MEANINGFUL MATCHUP:
F Tim Duncan vs. Karl Malone. Duncan was terrific in scoring 21 points and grabbing 21 rebounds in Game Five, despite his team's inability to get him the ball. However, San Antonio needs an even better effort from the star forward on Saturday to keep its season alive. Duncan is capable of scoring in the mid-thirties since Malone and Shaquille O'Neal cannot guard him.
WHO'S HOT:
Spurs: G Devin Brown has proven to be a capable reserve for San Antonio. He turned in an 11-point performance in Game Five that got the Spurs back in the game after scoring 16 in Game Three. San Antonio may go to him earlier with Hedo Turkoglu and Robert Horry not playing well.
Lakers: C Shaquille O'Neal had an off-game in Game Five with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but it was good enough for his fifth straight double-double in the series. More impressive has been O'Neal's defensive presence, accounting for his 21 blocks in the series.
WHO'S NOT:
Spurs: Once the darling of the series, G Tony Parker has struggled with his shooting stroke and decision-making. Parker is shooting just under 34 percent (18-of-53) in the three losses for San Antonio and his turnovers have gone up as well.
Lakers: G Gary Payton is averaging just 7.8 points and 4.8 assists in the series and has struggled with his shot. Payton complained about not being allowed to post up and has tried to, but that has not been successful for him either. The lone positive for Payton was that he threw the inbounds pass to Fisher for the game-winner in Game Five.
STREAKS: No team has won four straight to win a series after losing the first two games in 11 years. The last team to accomplish the feat was the 1993 Chicago Bulls, who came back to beat the New York Knicks.
SEASON SERIES & HISTORY: The Lakers went 3-1 against the Spurs this season, but Duncan and Parker missed the first meeting, a home loss in double overtime. ... Los Angeles is 8-2 at home against San Antonio over the last four postseasons.
INJURIES:
Spurs: No key injuries.
Lakers: No key injuries.
