SAN ANTONIO – There were many tweets of frustration, strategy and encouragement from @KobeBryant during the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff series opening loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. This wasn't just any Lakers fan. It was the verified account with 2.2 million followers from the star who is sidelined the rest of the season recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

Bryant was rooting hard while offering suggestion after suggestion to his Lakers who couldn't hear his cyber voice as they lost 91-79 in Game 1. But NBA fans on their phones, computers or tablets heard him loud and clear, even though he is watching from afar since he currently can't travel with the team.

When told that Bryant tweeted several times that the Lakers should post more, coach Mike D'Antoni rolled his eyes before saying, "It's great to have that commentary." Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni is finding out everyone's a critic, even Kobe Bryant. (AP)

D'Antoni followed up by stating, "He's a fan right now. You guys put a little bit more importance on that kind of fan. But he's a fan. He wants to be

PORTLAND, Ore. – German guard Dennis Schröder told Yahoo! Sports he will enter the NBA draft after his stock rose during practices for the Hoop Summit this week.

Schröder, 20, is a guard on the World Select Team that is playing the USA Junior Select Team on Saturday night at the Rose Garden. He averaged 12 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 25 minutes per game this season for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig of the German BBL. The 6-foot-2, 168-pounder is projected to be a late first-round pick after NBA teams have watched him practice this week, league sources said.

The Hoop Summit pits the top American high school seniors versus top international talent. A strong game Saturday could solidify Schröder's draft stock.

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Chris Bosh (from left), Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have that championship look. (Getty Images)

LeBron James and the Miami Heat finished the regular season without much competition for the top spot in the final Yahoo! Sports NBA Power Rankings.

Several Western Conference teams took turns at No. 1 during the first half of the season, but the Heat dominated the second half. The Heat claimed the top spot during a 27-game winning streak that was the second longest in NBA history. Miami finished the regular season with a franchise-record 66 wins, with James solidifying his place as the front-runner for the league's MVP award and Erik Spoelstra emerging as a coach-of-the-year candidate.

1. Miami Heat (66-16, previous ranking: first): After being hampered by a knee injury, Dwyane Wade looked good in Wednesday's finale with 21 points and 10 assists in 23 minutes in a LeBron-less win against Orlando.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22, previous ranking: third): It will be interesting to see if Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant or New York's Carmelo Anthony joins James on the All-NBA first team

LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant won't be joining the Los Angeles Lakers in the postseason, but there is growing optimism Steve Nash will be on the court as early as Sunday's playoff opener against the San Antonio Spurs.

A strained right hamstring and hip soreness forced Nash to miss the final eight games of the regular season, including Wednesday's 99-95 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets. The win gave the Lakers the Western Conference's No. 7 seed and a first-round matchup with their old rival, the Spurs.

Nash said he had two epidural injections in his lower back on Tuesday, which has begun to alleviate his hamstring pain. The Lakers announced Tuesday an MRI exam confirmed Nash is dealing with “several preexisting issues related to his hip and back, which are causing nerve irritation and contributing to his hamstring pain and weakness.”

Nash and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak both expressed optimism Nash would be able to play on Sunday.

"It really depends on whether the two

LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant was relieved to see the Los Angeles Lakers were still alive in the playoff race despite playing without him on Sunday night, but the bedridden star was far from satisfied.

"Gritty performance. At the doorstep. Gotta kick the door in now and finish the damn thing," Bryant told Yahoo! Sports in an email late Sunday night.

The "damn thing" is a playoff bid, and it's one step closer thanks to a critical 91-86 win over the the San Antonio Spurs in their first game since Bryant was lost for the season having suffered a torn left Achilles' tendon. Dwight Howard shoots past Tim Duncan during the first half. (AP)

The Lakers (44-37) are fighting the Utah Jazz (42-38) for the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference. The win over the Spurs goes a long way toward sealing that berth. Now a win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday or a loss by the Utah Jazz in either of their two final games against the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies would mean a playoff trip for the Lakers. The Jazz, however, own the

Dwight Howard will have to assume some of Kobe Bryant's leadership and scoring. (AP)

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers players met at the middle of the court Saturday afternoon as they typically do after practice. This time, however, Kobe Bryant wasn't there to dispense his usual wisdom – or wrath.

As Bryant prepared to undergo surgery at a nearby hospital for a season-ending Achilles tear, Dwight Howard took his place as the Lakers' voice of reason. He told his teammates they could still become a great team, even though most observers would expect them to fail. More than anything, he told them not to dwell on the past.

Howard better get used to the role. With Bryant out for the remainder of this season – whether it be two games or a playoff run – the Lakers are Howard's to lead. Now, and maybe for the foreseeable future.

"I told them that they put this team together for a reason," Howard said. "…We all have done special things in our career before and we can do it again. We've all been blessed to play with Kobe, but we all have talents, too. We have to

LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant is expected to be sidelined for six to nine months after rupturing his Achilles tendon, though the Los Angeles Lakers aren't ruling out his return for the start of next season, team officials said.

Bryant underwent successful surgery on Saturday after suffering the season-ending injury late in the Lakers' victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night. He was in much better spirits, even live-tweeting photos of his MRI and pre-surgery preparation.

Bryant tore his left Achilles tendon when he was trying to drive against Warriors forward Harrison Barnes. Lakers trainer Gary Vitti said the injury was a complete rupture and Bryant will need to keep his foot immobilized for a month.

If Bryant, 34, needs only the minimum six months in the team's timeline, he could conceivably return midway through training camp. Bryant vowed Friday night he will not let the injury end his career. The 2013-14 season is the final on Bryant's contract with the Lakers.

The Lakers have looked stronger as the playoffs have grown closer. (USA Today Sports)

The Oklahoma City Thunder have clawed their way atop the Western Conference, putting them within reach of securing the conference's top playoff seed and rewarding them with a possible first-round matchup with the … Los Angeles Lakers?

If the Lakers – favored by many before the season to win the West – do qualify for the postseason, they won't be viewed as an ordinary eight seed.

"They would be the scariest eighth seed team in history," Thunder guard Kevin Martin said.

Said Thunder coach Scottie Brooks: "They have as much talent as any eighth seed could ever have."

The reality for the Lakers is they are in a fight with the Utah Jazz for the West's final postseason berth. While they have a one-game lead in the standings, they don't hold the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams. They also face the Golden State Warriors (Friday), San Antonio Spurs (Sunday) and Houston Rockets (Monday) – all at home – for their final three games.

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