Victor Wembanyama scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Harrison Barnes added 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a commanding 126-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle also contributed 23 points each for San Antonio, which took over the game with a dominant 25-9 run in the opening nine minutes of the fourth quarter after entering the period tied. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Spurs, who had enjoyed a rare four-day break before facing the Lakers.
Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James chipped in 18 points and eight assists. However, the Lakers, playing their first game since two postponements caused by the devastating wildfires in the area, faltered late, unable to keep pace with San Antonio’s balanced attack.
James took a season-low 11 shots, matching Max Christie and trailing Austin Reaves, a recipe that proved ineffective for Los Angeles. In a poignant halftime ceremony, the Lakers retired Michael Cooper’s No. 21 jersey, honoring the Hall of Fame guard who won five championships during the Showtime era.
While the emotional weight of the week was evident—particularly for coach JJ Redick, who lost his home to the wildfires—the Lakers couldn’t maintain their focus in the crucial moments, dropping their third straight game. With this blowout loss on their record, let’s grade every Lakers player for his performance on Monday night.
Anthony Davis: A
Stats: 30 PTS, 13 REB (8 OREB, 5 DREB), 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO, 4 PF, 13-18 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-4 FT, -21, 32 MIN
Davis had a standout performance with 30 points and 13 rebounds, shooting an efficient 13-of-18 from the field. His contributions included 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, despite the -21 plus-minus. He was a dominant force for the Lakers, particularly in the paint and on the boards. Unfortunately, the superstar big man did not get much help as his teammates let him down.
LeBron James: C+
Stats: 18 PTS, 5 REB (1 OREB, 4 DREB), 8 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 7 TO, 3 PF, 7-11 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-4 FT, -15, 32 MIN
James recorded 18 points on efficient shooting (7-of-11 FG, 2-of-3 3PT) but struggled with 7 turnovers, which significantly impacted the Lakers’ performance. His 8 assists and all-around game were evident, but the turnovers and -15 plus-minus reflected a challenging night for him. Not the best night from The King and this could have ultimately made a difference against the Spurs.
Austin Reaves: C+
Stats: 12 PTS, 5 REB (1 OREB, 4 DREB), 8 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 4 TO, 3 PF, 4-14 FG, 2-7 3PT, 2-2 FT, -18, 33 MIN
Reaves contributed 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists in 33 minutes but struggled with his shooting efficiency (4-of-14 FG, 2-of-7 3PT). His 4 turnovers and -18 plus-minus highlighted his difficulties in managing the game flow and defensive assignments. Reaves was still solid moving the ball which means he can’t get lower than a C+/
Max Christie: C+
Stats: 10 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0 PF, 4-11 FG, 2-8 3PT, 0-1 FT, -13, 31 MIN
Christie scored 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-8 from three-point range. His lone rebound and assist were minimal, and defensively, he struggled to impact the game, evidenced by his -13 plus-minus in 31 minutes. The Lakers needed a little more from Christie to counter the hot-shooting Spurs.
Rui Hachimura: C
Stats: 9 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 1 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 3-6 FG, 3-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, -16, 30 MIN
Hachimura scored 9 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. However, his impact beyond scoring was limited with just 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 30 minutes. Defensively, he struggled to contain the Spurs’ offense, contributing to his -16 plus-minus.
Gabe Vincent: C
Stats: 7 PTS, 2 REB (1 OREB, 1 DREB), 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 1 PF, 3-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -3, 17 MIN
Vincent scored 7 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-3 from three-point range. His 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 turnovers in 17 minutes reflected a mixed performance where he struggled to impact the game consistently. Vincent has had worse games this season but the impact wasn’t there.
Dalton Knecht: C
Stats: 5 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 1-5 FG, 0-4 3PT, 3-3 FT, -1, 14 MIN
Knecht contributed 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 14 minutes off the bench. His shooting was inefficient (1-of-5 FG, 0-of-4 3PT), and defensively, he had minimal impact. Perhaps Knecht could have got more minutes to see if his shot success would have changed.
Dorian Finney-Smith: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 3 REB (1 OREB, 2 DREB), 0 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-2 FT, -13, 20 MIN
Finney-Smith had 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in 20 minutes. His shooting was limited (1-of-4 FG, 1-of-3 3PT), and he committed 1 turnover. Defensively, he provided some intensity but struggled to contain San Antonio’s offensive threats which means he cannot get higher than a C grade.
Jaxson Hayes: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 1 REB (1 OREB, 0 DREB), 1 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 2 PF, 2-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, -4, 13 MIN
Hayes contributed 4 points and 1 rebound in 13 minutes, shooting 2-of-4 from the field. His lone block showed defensive effort, but his impact was limited, especially on the boards. The big man did not get a ton of minutes to be fair, but his impact was negligible.
Cam Reddish: C
Stats: 3 PTS, 4 REB (2 OREB, 2 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 1-7 FG, 1-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, -11, 15 MIN
Reddish scored 3 points on 1-of-7 shooting, including 1-of-4 from three-point range. His 4 rebounds in 15 minutes were decent, but his offensive inefficiency and -11 plus-minus underscored his struggles in finding a rhythm. Another Lakers player who did not have an impact.
Quincy Olivari: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, -5, 2 MIN
Olivari played 2 minutes and attempted 2 three-pointers, failing to score or register any other stats. His limited playing time prevented significant evaluation so he doesn’t get a score.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
