Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs were terribly lacking in consistency. Back-to-back after its sluggish victory at the Jazz, San Antonio was forced to surrender against the Lakers (119-101). At the opening of the NBA Cup two weeks ago, the Alamo City protégés came close to bringing down JJ Redick’s men.
This time, the Californians, the day after their heavy defeat in Phoenix, were not afraid… “We should have focused on the essential things and been diligent in executing the right system at the right time”regrets “Wemby”, his black hood on his head, his face crestfallen. “ Without it, our youth takes over. »
Spurs want to “build and learn” from this defeat
Put on the right track by their surprising rookie, Dalton Knecht (20 points including 10 scored in the first quarter) and by a beaming D’Angelo Russell (17 points at 7/11 on shots), the Lakers quickly led the dance. With a great ability to project forward and play inside (58 points in the paint), Anthony Davis (19 points at 8/14 on shots) and his gang quickly overwhelmed the Spurs, obviously not enough concerned.
“We were unable to respond to their physical intensity and we sometimes lacked conviction in what we were doing and it’s quite disappointing because the Lakers, especially with LeBron James and Anthony Davis at their head, are always ready to play and won’t give you anything”breathes Mitch Johnson, who hopes “build and learn” of this setback.
Because his Spurs were unable to penetrate the Californian defense, although far from being among the most impervious in the league. Chris Paul tried to energize the Texan attack but his teammates found little inspiration, especially at long distance (14/40 from 3-points).
The Spurs, who had four wins in a row before receiving the Angelinos, failed to maintain lasting pressure on their evening hosts. Several times in the second half, Mitch Johnson’s men came back below five points but each time, they were caught by the Lakers. With a lead of around ten points for most of the match, Los Angeles ended up winning without forcing too much, thanks to the contribution of its baccalaureate (119-101). “It felt like we had a few periods where we played solid basketball with good fundamentals but when we were coming back, we didn’t last long.”summarizes Mitch Johnson.
After the three-day Thanksgiving break, the Spurs will challenge the Kings on December 1, while the Lakers will host OKC for a Western Conference clash on November 29.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
— Successful return to competition for Devin Vassell. If he sometimes monopolized the ball, the Spurs fullback, injured in the knee and absent for the last five games, finished the match with 14 points at 5/10 on shots in 22 minutes. “He had a good match tonight”greets Mitch Johnson. “We know Devin can score and help us find rhythm. We just have to manage to integrate it into our rotations but it won’t take much time. »
— Victor Wembanyama failed to guide the Spurs to an 11th success in 19 games. After his good performance at Jazz (34 points), “Wemby” was less skillful behind the arc (2/9 at 3-points) but he still finished with a 6th double-double this season (20 points at 9/20 shots and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes).
— Armel Traoré scored his first points in the NBA. Fifty-first French player to set foot on the floors of the Grand League, the former ADA Blois player (Betclic Élite) was rewarded for his XXL performance in the G-League the day before (17 points and 22 rebounds, a South Bay Lakers record). He scored an acrobatic basket on a lay up 1:40 minutes from time against Victor Wembanyama, his longtime friend and former teammate.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
From our correspondent in San Antonio (United States).
