The Los Angeles Lakers fell to their third loss in a row as the San Antonio Spurs defeated them 126-102 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This was the Lakers’ first game in a week, with their last two contests being postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires.
The Spurs had three players lead them in scoring with 23 points – Victor Wembanyama (10-17 FG), Stephon Castle (10-16 FG), and Devin Vassell (9-18 FG). Wemby also had eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals in the win while Vassell had six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Chris Paul had 13 points (3-6 FG), 10 assists, and four steals, while Harrison Barnes scored 17 points (5-8 FG)
The Lakers were led by a strong Anthony Davis performance with 30 points (13-18 FG), 13 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. LeBron James had an efficient 18 points (7-11 FG), five rebounds, and eight assists but his lack of aggressiveness was startling. Austin Reaves had an inefficient 12 points (4-13 FG) and eight assists while Max Christie had a quiet 10 points (4-11 FG).
Let’s look at this result and analyze the major takeaways.
Uncompetitive Second-Half Performance
The Spurs scored 73 in the second half while the Lakers only managed just 40. It was a shocking collapse at home and inexplicable in its nature. There was no single game-changing force for the Spurs or game-breaking force for the Lakers – it was a battle of attrition the Lakers were simply not up for.
The Lakers scored just nine points through the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter, completely giving up the game to the Spurs. They held a 10-point lead with four minutes left in the third quarter, which was erased by the Spurs. They went on a 14-4 run to end the quarter and then opened the quarter 29-9 to seal the game midway through the fourth.
The lack of competitiveness by the Lakers in the second half was shocking. LeBron James looked passive and partially engaged while an excellent Anthony Davis performance was overshadowed by the loss.
Spurs Starting Five Dominated
The San Antonio Spurs carefully built their roster for this season to make them competitive enough for the Playoffs alongside Victor Wembanyama without mortgaging any major assets. Their moves are paying off as the veteran sensibilities of Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul have transformed how the team handles itself, especially in close games.
All the Spurs’ starting five ended as massive positives on the night, with Wembanyama leading the way with a +26. Devin Vassell (+22), Harrison Barnes (+20), Chris Paul (+14), and Stephon Castle (+10) were all incredible. They combined for 99 points (42-85, 49.4 FG%), 25 rebounds, and 23 assists in an excellent team display that outshone the Lakers.
Paul’s presence as one of the smartest point guards in the NBA has bore fruit for the entire Spurs roster. Even without Jeremy Sochan, they looked incredibly composed and organized on both ends of the floor. A career night for Castle, as a two-way rookie star also ensured that the Spurs as a collective looked great.
Lakers Bench Disaster
The Spurs starting five deserve their plaudits for outclassing the Lakers as a whole, but the Lakers bench deserves to be mentioned for their part in a putrid showing. Not a single bench player scored 10 points, going 8-28 from the field for 23 points as a unit, compared to the Spurs’ bench scoring 27 points (11-25). They simply had no competence in the game and goes to show the Lakers’ clear need for reinforcements.
Dorian Finney-Smith’s main resource is his defense but his shot-making has been poor since joining the Lakers, going 1-4 from the field tonight. Cam Reddish has always been a poor offensive player, so the Spurs left him open and let him go 1-7 from the field. The fact that Gabe Vincent scoring seven points on 3-6 shooting is a good game relative to what fans expect from him further exacerbates this problem.
The Finney-Smith trade might take longer to play out, with the true value of him as a player coming when he’s a starter alongside players like LeBron and Davis. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t discourage the Lakers and Rob Pelinka from being aggressive on the trade market.
The fact that the Lakers can’t solidify themselves as a top-six team in the West is a concern and guarantees the team will not be real contenders until they make moves.
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.
