It’s been robust sledding for the San Antonio Spurs during the last two video games. Losses to the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Path Blazers had overshadowed the entire progress the crew made in December. The Silver and Black wouldn’t repeat that consequence thrice in a row, with a bounce-back 107-91 win towards the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers performed this recreation with out two of their stars, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The remaining star, Luka Doncic, was their solely driving offensive engine on Wednesday night time. Doncic had 38 factors, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds, but it surely wasn’t sufficient to guide his crew to victory. The Spurs’ protection was locked in, permitting the least quantity of factors this season, and forcing the Lakers to shoot 40% from the sector and 23% from three.
The Spurs first half offense didn’t fare significantly better than the Lakers’. San Antonio simply couldn’t discover an offensive rhythm within the first half. Most of their factors got here on the free-throw line or on Keldon Johnson’s drives to the cup. Johnson made one other sturdy case for his Sixth Man of the Yr candidacy with a team-high 27 factors off the bench on 11-13 capturing. KJ attacked the Lakers within the paint at will and knocked in two of his three triples.
Johnson was solely one in every of two Spurs to make a three-pointer on Wednesday night time. The opposite was Jeremy Sochan, who has discovered his manner again into San Antonio’s rotation after a robust efficiency towards the Grizzlies on Tuesday. Sochan performed 11 minutes off the bench and had 6 factors on 2-2 capturing from three. He was part of the Spurs’ bench onslaught that was the most important distinction maker within the recreation. San Antonio’s bench outscored Los Angeles’s 53-22.
Victor Wembanyama got here off the bench as soon as once more, however performed 26 minutes in comparison with his 21 on Tuesday. He was an actual distinction maker, particularly because the Spurs began to drag away within the fourth quarter. Wemby had 16 factors, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, and a pair of steals. The Lakers had a tough time scoring within the paint when he was within the recreation, as San Antonio outscored them 66-40 inside.
The Spurs appeared to seek out their offensive rhythm within the second half after struggling within the first. Their ball motion was crisp, they ran the ground properly in transition, and obtained downhill of their half-court offense to create beauty. The Spurs had 24 assists, wanting extra just like the crew from final month. Their offensive output within the second half appeared indicative of a crew returning to type.
“Our model of basketball is sharing the ball and taking part in to every of our strengths and masking one another’s weaknesses,” mentioned Wembanyama after the sport.
The win improves the Spurs’ document to 26-11, giving them a one-game lead over the Denver Nuggets for the second seed within the Western Convention. San Antonio can have two days off earlier than it travels to Boston on Saturday for a recreation towards the red-hot Celtics, winners of 8 of their final 10 video games. It’ll be the primary recreation of a back-to-back, with the second coming towards the Minnesota Timberwolves.
