Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points – 25 of them in the first quarter – in the San Antonio Spurs’ 108-136 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, a game in which the Lakers played without LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Wembanyama scored his 25 first quarter points in a span of 8 minutes, 17 of them in a row for the Spurs. The Frenchman hit 8 of his 9 shots from the field, 3 of 4 on three-pointers. The Spurs led 30-47 in the first quarter and 55-84 at halftime. San Antonio’s 84 points were the most ever conceded by the Lakers in a half.
Spurs crush Lakers with no mercy
Wembanyama sat out the third quarter to not return and the Spurs took a maximum lead of +41 (74-115) shortly before the end of the quarter.
In the final quarter, the Lakers brought the final score to 108-136.
The Frenchman signed a double-double with 40 points, 12 rebounds.
Rookies Carter Bryant and Dylan Harper contributed 16 and 15, respectively.
Stephon Castle had to leave the game after a hard fall when he made a tremendous block on Rui Hachimura.
Circumstances team
JJ Redick played without James, Doncic and Reaves, but also without Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton.
James was sidelined with foot discomfort, Doncic with a hamstring injury and Reaves due to minutes management after recovering from a calf injury.
The Lakers’ starters were Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Luke Kennard and Kobe Bufkin.
A quintet destined to be crushed by a Spurs team flying in the Western Conference and securing the second place during the All-Star break.
Kennard, the Lakers’ newest signing, was the top scorer for the Angelenos with 14 points.
The same as Drew Timme, Redick’s understudy on a dual contract with the South Bay Lakers of the G League.
LeBron explodes after another loss
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The loss, at the hands of Wembanyama, adds salt to the wound of the Lakers, who had fallen last night to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
A result that provoked a harsh crack from LeBron in the portmatch.
“You want me to compare us to them? That’s a champion team. And we’re not.”
“We can’t sustain the energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can,” the veteran Lakers player told reporters.
Spurs consolidate second place in the West
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The Frenchman made 8 of his 9 field goals attempts
QuéOnnda.com
The Spurs (37-16) are going through a sweet moment:
They are second in the West with a streak of five straight wins.
Only behind the Thunder (41-13) and with a 3.5-game cushion over their immediate pursuers, the Houston Rockets (33-16).
In addition, with the win in Los Angeles, the Spurs are assured of maintaining sole possession of second place in the West during the All-Star break.
For their part, the Lakers (32-21) remain in fifth place in the West despite the loss, but see the playoffs only half a game away, with the Phoenix Suns (32-22) in seventh.
With information from EFE
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