Lakers star LeBron James notched 23 points and 14 assists against the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama on Friday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a complete performance by San Antonio as it upset Los Angeles 129-115. The Spurs’ win snapped their franchise-record 18-game losing streak.
San Antonio wing Devin Vassell led his team with a career-high 36 points on 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Vassell added six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. The Spurs had seven players score in double figures, including the entire starting lineup.
Advertisement
The matchup marked the first game between James, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, and the rookie phenom Wembanyama.
“Nothing has changed from what I’ve already said about (Wembanyama) previously,” James said. “He’s a special talent and they got a good one here.”
Wembanyama finished with 13 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. James paced the Lakers’ scoring, and his 14 assists marked a game-high. He also added seven rebounds and two steals. Los Angeles was without starters Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish in the loss.
San Antonio was in control from start to finish, and Los Angeles faced a 25-point deficit in the second quarter.
The Spurs improved to 4-20 as the Lakers fell to 15-11.
The rookie and the vet
James and Wembanyama oddly didn’t interact before, during or after Friday’s game. There was no dap or embrace. Their paths only crossed when they were matched up in right corner at the end of a possession late in the first half.
James lulled Wembanyama into lowering his hand by looking away, pretending he was setting up a pass. The second Wembanyama’s hand dropped slightly, James took a quick dribble backward and launched from the corner, barely getting the ball up over Wembanyama’s 8-foot wingspan. Splash.
“Just trying to get his hands to go down just a little bit, because I know his wingspan and I know he is able to block shots outside his comfort,” James said after the game. “So, just tried to create a little bit more room, shoot it a little bit higher and I was able to knock it down.”
It was a masterclass in how the veteran can create space in impossibly tight quarters, and a reminder of how the rookie still has ways to go defensively in terms of leveraging his unique size and length. — Jovan Buha, Lakers staff writer
Advertisement
Spurs snap historic losing streak
Vassell thrashed the Lakers with a flurry of off-the-dribble 3s, pull-up jumpers, runners and layups. As a group, the Spurs shot 49.5 percent and made 18 3-pointers — seven more than the Lakers. Wembanyama had a quieter evening than he did in the Wednesday matchup (30 points, 13 rebounds, six blocks) despite Davis’ absence. L.A. made several runs to cut the deficit to single digits, but the Spurs maintained their pose and always had an answer — often in the form of a 3. — Buha
The IST catches up to the Lakers
The Lakers have been in four cities over the past six days. They’re amid a brutal stretch of their schedule, which still features two more road trips before the end of the calendar year (they’re away from L.A. for 28 of the final 37 days of 2023). That travel, mixed with the intensity and exhaustion from the In-Season Tournament, has led to roughly half the roster being banged up over the past week after the Lakers were finally close to whole during the tournament. With three starters out — Davis, Russell and Reddish — the Lakers were shorthanded on both ends of the floor. Davis’ void was especially noticeable, as Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood both struggled to fill his shoes on either end. — Buha
Required reading
(Photo: Tyler Ross / NBAE via Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57lGpramxiaHxzfJFsZmpqX2aCcLjEm6mopl2frq6x0matopukpL9uw8SmmZqmqZa6onnLmqKeqqNiwLHB0axm