The Lakers keep finding ways to win. Despite missing LeBron James and Austin Reaves for another game, Los Angeles extended its win streak to five with a 118-116 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. It wasn’t always clean, but the Lakers controlled the tempo late and did just enough to close it out.
On social media, Lakers fans breathed a sigh of relief as they watched their team take care of business at home to secure their seventh win of the season.
“Anyone have Lakers 7-2 on their bingo card with LeBron missing every game, Luka missing four games and AR missing two games? Would have guessed 4-5 at best. Keep it up Lakeshow,” wrote one happy fan.
Luka Doncic led the way once again, finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds, 13 assists, five steals, and two blocks on 33.3% shooting in 41 minutes. Deandre Ayton had a big night inside, recording 22 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks on 69.2 percent shooting. Marcus Smart added 17 points, five assists, four rebounds, and went 1-of-7 from deep to give the Lakers a steady presence in the backcourt.
“The Lakers are 7-2, on a five-game win streak, and one game behind first place in the West while enduring countless injuries over the first nine games… and Pelinka hasn’t even made the trade to upgrade the roster and get rid of the dead weight,” wrote another fan.
The Spurs were led by Victor Wembanyama, who dropped 19 points (35.7% shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 32 minutes. Stephon Castle impressed with 16 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and three steals on 27.3% shooting while Devin Vassell contributed 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists on 35.7% shooting in the loss.
“My main concern was how this team would defend,” wrote one Lakers fan. “Luka 9-27 shooting and you beat a 5-1 team. The Lakers won this one with defense. Again. The culture has been set.”
The Lakers have now moved up to second in the Western Conference, just one game behind the Thunder at the top of the standings. Most impressively, it’s come amid a series of injuries that have cost time for LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, and several other key members of the team.
“Five-game win streak with Bron, AR, and Luka all missing games during that stretch. Insane,” wrote one fan on X.
JJ Redick’s impact has been real for the Lakers, as he’s found a way to maximize the offense around Luka Doncic. That was evident tonight in the way everyone was moving, resulting in Luka’s latest elite stat line. For the season, he’s averaging 41.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game on 54.5 percent shooting.
“Enjoying very much playing with these guys very much,” said Luka after the game, via Mike Trudell. “Everybody who steps on the court (despite the injuries) plays to the maximum.”
The Lakers have played their last game at Crypto.com Arena for a while. Starting Saturday against the Hawks, they will begin a five-game road trip that takes them through Charlotte, Oklahoma City, and New Orleans, among others. It remains to be seen if this level of play is sustainable, especially with James still out, but the vibes are good right now with everything clicking.
The Lakers still have a long road ahead, but this stretch is showing what they’re capable of. Winning five straight amid so much early adversity is no small feat, and it speaks to the depth, coaching, and resilience of this group. If they can stay healthy and keep building momentum, this team is going to be a real problem in the West.
