November 1, 2013 at 3:49pm EDT The Los Angeles Lakers stunned the NBA  on opening night with a win over the Clippers, throwing out of whack so many preconceptions of what the purple and gold would look like this season.

The following night, they were blown out by the Golden State Warriors. That result is much more typical of what we’ll see of the Lakers this season. Tonight, they face the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs, and things shouldn’t be much different than the loss to the Warriors.

The win over the Clippers can be explained several ways. The Clippers are new to the world of title expectations, with a new coach and two new starters. Doc Rivers has been making a big noise over the summer about creating a winning culture for the organization. The Clips are going to be a dangerous team going forward, but they’re learning all of this on the fly. They didn’t take the Lakers seriously enough, which is understandable considering Shawne Williams is a starter and Kobe Bryant is out.

The Lakers won their opening game against the Clippers on the back of a huge performance by Xavier Henry off the bench, which nobody expected. But the Spurs don’t get caught off guard by surprises. And neither will most other teams the Lakers play this season.

Here’s what else to watch for tonight:

• Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Bobcats (7:00)

• New Orleans Pelicans at Orlando Magic (7:00)

• Philadelphia 76ers at Washington Wizards (7:00)

• Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks (7:30)

• Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics (7:30)

• Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets (8:00)

• Detroit Pistons at Memphis Grizzlies (8:00)

• Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves (8:00)

• Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets (8:00, ESPN)

• Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets (9:00)

• Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns (10:00)

• Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings (10:00)

• San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30, ESPN)