The Los Angeles Lakers put on a defensive clinic against Victor Wembanyama on Wednesday night, using a mix of tactical discipline, physicality, and team communication to frustrate the 7-foot-4 Spurs phenom from start to finish. A detailed breakdown by Basketball Vision on YouTube later captured the brilliance of L.A.’s approach, a collective, layered effort that left Wembanyama looking mortal.
From the opening tip, the Lakers were locked in. They had clearly studied Phoenix’s defensive scheme from the Spurs’ previous game and built upon it. As Basketball Vision noted, L.A. essentially employed a ‘compact zone,’ tagging Wembanyama every time he touched the ball. Whenever he caught a pass near the arc, the Lakers sent two defenders at him immediately, forcing him to give it up or take a low-percentage step-back three.
When he tried to put the ball on the floor, the help defense collapsed instantly, shutting off his driving lanes and forcing turnovers or rushed shots.
The Lakers were also deliberate about what shots they’d live with. They were content to let Wembanyama shoot long threes or fadeaway jumpers, but refused to give him anything near the rim. When he posted up, the double-teams came fast. When he faced mismatches, multiple defenders crashed the paint to strip the ball or contest vertically. The result was a night where every possession felt like an uphill battle for the Spurs star.
The film showed how often players like Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and Jaxson Hayes rotated perfectly in sync. If Wemby rolled off a screen, someone was waiting at the elbow. If he drove, the weak-side defender tagged him. And when he finally did reach the paint, the Lakers were more than willing to take charges, two of which proved critical.
Smart absorbed the first one early in the game, setting a tone, while Rui Hachimura drew another late in the fourth quarter that became the defining moment: Wembanyama’s sixth foul.
That call not only sent Wemby to the bench but effectively sealed the Lakers’ 118-116 victory, their fifth straight win. His final line, 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one block, one steal, and five turnovers on 5-of-14 shooting (0-of-2 from three) tells the story of a star neutralized by elite preparation and execution.
This performance came just one game after the Suns used a similar blueprint to hold Wembanyama to 9 points on 4-of-14 shooting, proving that teams are beginning to figure out how to slow him down. After a blistering start to the season where he averaged over 31 points on video-game-like efficiency, his numbers have dipped slightly to 25.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 4.1 blocks per game still, MVP-caliber, but not unstoppable.
For the Lakers, this game was about discipline and pride. Luka Doncic led the way offensively with 35 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds, while Deandre Ayton chipped in 22 points and 10 boards. But defensively, it was a total team effort, the kind of game that reminds you that defense, even in today’s pace-and-space NBA, can still win.
As the Basketball Vision video illustrated, the Lakers’ rotations, communication, and willingness to sacrifice their bodies defined the night. Every time Wemby touched the ball, it wasn’t about one defender; it was about five players moving like one.
The final image of the game said it all: Rui Hachimura standing tall after drawing the charge that fouled out Wembanyama, while LeBron James and Austin Reaves exploded off the bench, pumping their fists. Even Dodgers star Mookie Betts, sitting in the stands, mimicked the offensive foul signal.
It was a defensive masterclass, one that proved the Lakers can still bring elite intensity when it matters. And for the rest of the league, it provided a new defensive playbook on how to make even the NBA’s most unguardable prospect look human.
