Some say there is no such thing as a “scheduled” loss. But facing LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the second game of a back-to-back is about as tough as it gets from a scheduling perspective – even if the Los Angeles Lakers were in the same boat. A low-energy San Antonio Spurs squad was outmatched all night as they lost to the Lakers, 117-99, falling to 10-9 on the season.
San Antonio jumped out to a quick 9-2 win and looked like they’d have the juice to give the Lakers a tough game coming off a game on Tuesday. The Lakers took that initial punch and responded by grabbing a 32-23 lead in the first, and never gave it up for the rest of the game.
The Spurs never quite found their footing offensively and struggled to find consistent production from its scorers. They shot 42.4% from the field and 35% from deep while turning the ball over 15 times. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks, but he shot just 9-20 from the field and 2-9 from deep.
Struggling on the offensive end is one thing, but those tired legs translated to the defensive end, too. The Lakers got just about whatever they wanted, shooting 53.3% from the field and 38.2% from three. Los Angeles outscored the Spurs in the paint 58-42 and out-rebounded them 46-38. San Antonio missed rotations in the half-court and struggled to guard the Lakers when they attacked in transition.
“I thought our physicality and conviction at the start of the game wasn’t there,” said Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson. “That was disappointing, especially in a game where you have an opposition that is not going to give you anything.”
“We were in 1-5 red (man-to-man defense, switching everything) so that requires a lot of physicality and communication, and I thought our guys executed that to a great level,” said Lakers head coach JJ Redick. “We did a great job of containing the basketball and not getting spread out.”
The Lakers got strong performances from their superstars. LeBron James had a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Anthony Davis had 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. They controlled the game on both ends, especially Davis, who was a force inside.
It was the Lakers supporting cast that really rose to the challenge. Los Angeles had 7 players score double-digit points. Dalton Knecht had 20 points, including 4 deep balls and 8 rebounds. D’Angelo Russell provided a spark off the bench with 17 points and 5 assists.
The Spurs got solid performances from their wings, particularly in the second and third quarters when it seemed the Spurs might come back. Devin Vassell played his first game since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for 5 games. He had 14 points off the bench and 2 steals while shooting 2-3 from three.
“He looked good,” Johnson said. “We know Devin is going to be able to score and help us out as he continues to find his rhythm. We just need to continue to build him back into the fabric of the team, and I don’t think that will take long.”
Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes helped keep the Spurs in the game until the Lakers ran away with it in the fourth. Barnes was automatic from deep, shooting 5-6 from deep on his way to 19 points. Champagnie gave the Spurs a bit of everything offensively, attacking closeouts and connecting from three. He had 18 points and 5 rebounds on 6-12 shooting from the field.
After the back-to-back, the Spurs have three days off before they head to Sacramento for a matchup with the Kings on Sunday. It’s the first game of a two-game road trip that includes an important NBA Cup matchup against the Phoenix Suns next Tuesday.
“I would hope (the loss) is not a heat check,” Johnson said. Later, he added, “We’re starting to hopefully get a little bit healthier, so I’ll tell you in a week or two if (the time off) was a good thing.”
