On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers nearly blew a double-digit lead to the San Antonio Spurs, a team that came into the contest with the worst record in the Western Conference and a 17-game losing streak. The Lakers held on to win by three points, but head coach Darvin Ham issued a warning afterward that they needed to do a better job of taking care of business.
The Spurs’ late run on Wednesday turned out to be a portent of what transpired on Friday between the same two teams.
They started the game by blitzing L.A. and getting out to a 42-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. It meant they had put up a total of 87 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday and the first quarter on Friday against LeBron James and company.
The Lakers were without Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish on Friday. As short-handed as they were, they were never really able to threaten the home team.
Los Angeles went on a brief spurt to come to within 69-64 early in the third quarter. But Victor Wembanyama and crew quickly increased their lead back into double-digit territory, and they ended up winning 129-115.
Wembanyama made his presence felt on the defensive end, and the Lakers couldn’t innoculate themselves with a solution. He had 13 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots, but those two blocks don’t tell the whole story, as he seemingly altered countless other shots at or near the rim.
Even though the Lakers continually left the Spurs open from 3-point range, their offense was equally deficient. They shot just 30.6% from downtown, continuing a season-long problem, and they got outscored by 21 points from that distance. They were able to keep pace statistically with San Antonio in almost every other key category, which highlights their problems both in terms of 3-point makes and attempts.
What made this loss even more painful for L.A. was how inept the Spurs have been all season. It ended its three-game road trip with two losses, and it now holds a 15-11 record and seventh place in the West, which seems disappointing given its roster and its high hopes when the season started.