The Lakers seemed to be gaining momentum as they kicked off their homestand with back-to-back victories against the 76ers and Warriors, marking their first three-game winning streak in a month.
But two days can change everything.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they faced the San Antonio Spurs without several star players on Tuesday night, including Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reeves, who were all in street clothes on the sidelines. Given their recent loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it felt almost inevitable that they’d struggle again.
And that’s precisely what happened. Spurs’ standout Victor Wembanyama ensured the Lakers’ downfall, putting up a remarkable 40 points on 13-of-20 shooting, along with 12 rebounds, leading the Spurs to a 136-108 victory at Crypto.com Arena.
Missing from the lineup were also Dendre Ayton and Marcus Smart.
Luke Kennard and Drew Timme stepped up for the depleted Lakers, each contributing 14 points. However, it wasn’t enough as the Spurs showcased formidable defense, shooting an impressive 56.5% from the field.
What It Means
The Lakers dropped to a 32-21 record but managed to hold onto fifth place in the Western Conference, thanks to a tiebreaker win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They hope to avoid losing three games in a row for the third time since mid-December.
Watching from the sidelines, LeBron James observed as Bronny took the court during the first half.
Turning Point
At 1:06 p.m. on Tuesday, the Lakers confirmed the absence of Doncic, James, Reeves, and Smart. Just before tipoff, Ayton was also ruled out, leaving the team without even more options.
MVP: Victor Wembanyama
Once it became clear who the Lakers were missing, any doubts about the game’s outcome vanished with Wembanyama’s explosive performance. The 7-foot-4 French sensation scored 23 of the Spurs’ first 28 points and half of the opening 46 points in the game.
He netted 25 points in the first eight minutes before stepping back. What’s more, his total for that quarter ranks as the 10th-highest since the live commentary era began in the 1996-97 season, despite him playing the least amount of time among those who scored over 25 points in a quarter.
Game Status: 26
This denotes the number of minutes Wembanyama needed to match his season high. Impressively, he became only the third player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in under 27 minutes, alongside Patrick Ewing (1988) and “Sleepy” Floyd (1991).
Wembanyama’s feat marks the second-fewest minutes played in a game while reaching that point total, trailing only Ewing’s performance of 40 points and 10 rebounds.
To the Next
The Lakers will continue their homestand, welcoming the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday for their final game before the All-Star break. The Mavericks are currently on an eight-game losing streak, a slide that began after their defeat to the Lakers in Dallas on January 24th.
