Blake out for Lakers, Nash doubtful
Los Angeles Lakers’ Steve Blake (5) reacts to a call during the second half of Game 1 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, Sunday, April 21, 2013, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 91-79. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
LOS ANGELES–The Los Angeles Lakers, already without superstar Kobe Bryant, will be missing guard Steve Blake and probably veteran Steve Nash as well on Friday as they try to reverse their NBA playoff fortunes.
The Lakers said Thursday that Nash, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, was “doubtful” for Friday’s game three of their Western Conference first-round series against San Antonio after aggravating a hamstring injury in a 102-91 loss to the Spurs on Wednesday.
That defeat saw the Lakers fall 0-2 down to the Spurs in the best-of-seven series.
Blake will be sidelined indefinitely after an MRI exam on Thursday showed a moderate strain of his right hamstring.
Guard Jodie Meeks, meanwhile, is expected to miss a second straight game due an ankle sprain suffered in Sunday’s game-one defeat.
Blake had started the first two games of the series in place of Bryant, who suffered a season-ending Achilles’ tendon tear in the last week of the regular season.
Nash had sat out Los Angeles’ final eight regular-season contests with recurring hamstring problems.
He played 31 minutes in game two, but was clearly hindered. The Lakers revealed Nash received two epidural injections as well as a cortisone shot in his ailing hip.
