2012–13 Los Angeles Lakers season

After being swept by their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers fell a half game behind the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot.

Facing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, the injury-riddled Lakers were swept in four games to the eventual Western Conference champion.

The trio of Bryant, Howard, and Nash was expected to rival the defending league champion Miami Heat's combination of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

[13] Additionally, the Lakers re-signed key role player Jordan Hill and signed free agent veteran Antawn Jamison and shooting specialist Jodie Meeks.

The Lakers, however, had an urgency to win and were not compelled to wait given their aging stars, Howard's pending free agency the coming summer, and owner Jerry Buss' deteriorating health.

[41][42][43] They felt that D'Antoni's fast-paced style of play made him a "great fit" for the team, more suitable than Jackson's structured triangle offense.

[47] Bickerstaff continued to be the Lakers' interim coach;[48] he finished with a 4–1 record, winning his last two as D'Antoni started leading team practices.

[51] He reiterated general manager Mitch Kupchak's belief that the Lakers were built to win an NBA championship that season.

[52] The Lakers matched their worst start on the road (0–4) since the 1995–96 season, but snapped the streak with a 115–89 win over the Dallas Mavericks; it was also their first 100-point effort in the first four games under D'Antoni.

[56] Additionally, backup point guard Steve Blake had been out since an abdominal injury on November 11, and he would not return until late January.

[64][65][66] Nash started against the Golden State Warriors after missing 24 games, and he had 12 points and nine assists in a 118–115 overtime road victory.

[72] For only the fourth time in their prior 127 meetings since they moved to Los Angeles, the Clippers had a better record than the Lakers entering their matchup when both teams had played 30 or more games.

[26][83] On January 8, 2013, Nash became the fifth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career assists; however, Los Angeles lost the game 125–112 to the Houston Rockets for their fourth consecutive loss, tying their longest streak of the season.

[69][84] Due to the Lakers' injuries, rookie center Robert Sacre also made his first career start against the Rockets, finishing with 10 points, four blocked shots and three rebounds;[85] Their losing streak grew after losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder,[81][86] dropping the Lakers to 15–21 for their worst start since the 1993–94 season.

The team was lacking continuity with the projected starting lineup at the beginning of the season having played just 117 minutes together, primarily due to injuries.

[90][91] Bryant acknowledged he was a more focused defender when he had a challenging defensive assignment as opposed to when he played off the ball against weaker players.

Calling it a permanent move, D'Antoni had benched Gasol in the game and started Earl Clark to form the faster and smaller lineup that the coach preferred.

Howard's back surgery was still affecting his conditioning, and he struggled with Nash to run the pick and roll, a play that D'Antoni expected would be a staple for the team.

[103] Before playing the Memphis Grizzlies, the Lakers held a team meeting to clear the air; the Los Angeles Times reported that "guys went at each other a little bit.

An avid candy lover, Howard adopted a healthier diet to get into better shape to anchor the Lakers' defense and run D'Antoni's preferred pick and rolls.

[149] On March 10, Los Angeles beat Chicago 90–81 and moved 1⁄2 game ahead of the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot in the West.

[159] Bryant returned against the Washington Wizards along with Gasol, who played for the first time in over six weeks, but the Lakers lost 103–100 at home after leading by 18.

[163] The Lakers' three-game losing streak was partially attributed to D'Antoni reintegrating Gasol into the starting lineup over Clark, making the team taller but slower.

[170] On April 9, Utah lost to Oklahoma City, while Los Angeles defeated New Orleans 104–96 to regain a half-game lead for eighth place.

[176] On April 12, the Lakers beat the Warriors 118–116, but Bryant left with a torn Achilles tendon that ended his season and was expected to sideline him for six to nine months.

[178][179] Bryant had injured both of his knees after collisions with the Warriors' Festus Ezeli in the third quarter, but he played every minute before leaving with 3:06 left in the game.

He led the league in scoring that week (37.0), ranked second in the Western Conference in steals (2.67 per game), and averaged 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

[189] "The Lakers didn't help things by making the coaching change and putting (D'Antoni) in that situation, which he was glad to take.

[194] Due to the Lakers' other injuries, World Peace played in spite of running with discomfort after having fluid drained from a cyst behind his surgically repaired left knee.

Shortly after, the quiet home crowd roared as Bryant hobbled to the bench, making his first appearance on the court since tearing his Achilles.