Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks still doubtful against Spurs in Game 3

By Mike Bresnahan

April 26, 2013 12 AM PT

Steve Nash and Jodie Meeks are still doubtful for tonight’s game. So are the Lakers’ chances of beating San Antonio.

Meeks did not take part in the team’s Friday morning shoot-around, and Nash walked through a few things but did not take an active role. The Lakers play San Antonio tonight in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. The Spurs lead the series, 2-0.

Darius Morris will start at guard for the Lakers, Coach Mike D’Antoni said, alongside either Nash, veteran Chris Duhon or recent signee Andrew Goudelock.

Another medical event was added to the Lakers’ list: Metta World Peace announced on Twitter he had a cyst drained from his knee Friday morning, adding a wide-eyed picture of him holding a syringe filled with fluid. He is expected to play tonight.

Steve Blake will miss the game and is out indefinitely after sustaining a moderately strained right hamstring on a fourth-quarter drive in Game 2. Kobe Bryant was at the team training facility Friday to “get treatment,” he said before disappearing behind a door. He will miss his fifth game because of a torn Achilles’ tendon.

Nash has been slowed because of soreness in his hamstring, hip and back. He had two epidural injections in his back and a cortisone shot in his right hip Thursday.

Meeks sustained a severely sprained left ankle in Game 1. He did not play in Game 2.

Morris, a second-year guard, averaged four points and 1.6 assists in 48 regular-season games. He is an active defender but not an accurate shooter, connecting on only 38.8% of his attempts.

“I think they’ll play really hard,” D’Antoni said of Morris and Goudelock. “They’ll be full of energy and make some mistakes but they’re NBA players and they’ll be ready to go.”

Sort of.

Goudelock is a gunner, fearless in his shot selection, but he played an entire season in the NBA’s Development League before the Lakers signed him two weeks ago after Bryant’s injury. Goudelock had two points and an assist in the last six minutes of Game 2. He played sparingly for the Lakers last season as a rookie but was cut by them during exhibition season last October.

Duhon will also get playing time, though he wasn’t very impressive in his last game. He had three turnovers in four minutes April 14 against San Antonio. He has not played since then.

The Lakers’ game plan has not changed going into Game 3.

“The ball’s still going to go inside,” D’Antoni said. “We’ve got to dominate there and then I think they’ll be fine.”

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