The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the San Antonio Spurs at home, with the Lakers starting lineup consisting of Reeves, Christie, Hachimura, James, and Davis; while the Spurs started with Paul, Castle, Vassell, Barnes, and Wembanyama.
In the first quarter, the Lakers started with a 7-0 run, prompting an immediate timeout from the Spurs. After the timeout, the Spurs responded with their own 7-0 run to tie the score. The game became a back-and-forth battle with both teams trading leads. The Lakers successfully challenged a call, but Davis turned the ball over, leading to a three-point shootout between the two teams. Davis and Wembanyama exchanged baskets in the paint, but the Lakers experienced a scoring drought and fell behind by six points. James returned to the court at the end of the quarter to help reduce the deficit, and the Lakers trailed 26-28 after the first period.
During the second quarter, with both teams rotating their lineups, Wembanyama and James traded three-pointers, and Hayes threw down a dunk followed by a three-pointer from Reeves, giving the Lakers the lead. However, Wembanyama took control on both ends of the court to regain the lead for the Spurs. Reddish added a three-pointer, and Barnes made free throws to stop the bleeding, but James started scoring, and Reeves drew a foul for two free throws before assisting Christie on an alley-oop dunk that forced a Spurs timeout. Upon resuming play, Davis continued to challenge Wembanyama, and Paul responded with a three-pointer as both teams engaged in an offensive battle. Davis was subbed out due to his third foul, but Knott's steal and fastbreak 2+1 extended the Lakers' lead into double digits. The Spurs quickly narrowed the gap, but Christie's dunk and subsequent three-point exchange led to Castle making one of two free throws. The half ended with the Lakers leading 62-53.
In the third quarter, Davis opened with a hook shot, and Vassell answered with a three-pointer. James drew a foul and made free throws, but the Spurs continued to chip away at the lead. Davis drew another foul and made free throws to stem the tide. Paul's mid-range jumper reduced the lead to three points, but Christie responded with a three-pointer, and both teams engaged in a tough seesaw battle. Castle's layup brought the Spurs within three points, but Davis continued to score, and Christie hit another three-pointer, extending the Lakers' lead to ten points. However, upon returning from a timeout, Wembanyama and Vassell delivered three consecutive dunks, sparking a 10-0 run for the Spurs to tie the game. Davis hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, and Keldon's buzzer-beater tied the game at 89 heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Keldon started with a 2+1, and James scored a layup, followed by Knott's free throws. However, the Spurs went on another 5-0 run, and Paul's three-pointer gave them a 99-93 lead, forcing the Lakers to call a timeout. After the timeout, Davis scored inside to stop the bleeding, but the Lakers' defense faltered, allowing the Spurs to score easily. James committed multiple turnovers, which the Spurs capitalized on to extend their lead. The Lakers trailed by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter, eventually pulling their starters and conceding defeat.
Ultimately, the Lakers suffered a crushing 102-126 loss at home to the Spurs. Let's take a look at the individual performances of the players!
In the fourth quarter, James struggled, committing seven turnovers that were particularly glaring. He had a solid first half, scoring efficiently with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 5-of-7 shooting (2-of-2 from three), contributing to a +7 plus-minus rating. However, his performance deteriorated significantly in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter when he led the team. His turnovers allowed the Spurs to counterattack and ultimately cost the Lakers the game. In total, James played 32 minutes, shooting 7-of-11 from the field, 2-of-3 from three-point range, and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line, finishing with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and a concerning 7 turnovers.
Davis put up impressive numbers but could not secure a victory, scoring 30 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and adding 2 assists. In the first half, he played determinedly against Wembanyama, shooting 7-of-8 from the field, including 1-of-2 from three-point range, for 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block, albeit with 3 fouls and a +1 plus-minus rating. In the third quarter alone, he scored 12 points, bringing his total to 25 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks on 14-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. Despite adding another 5 points in the fourth quarter, it was not enough to turn the tide. Overall, Davis played 32 minutes, shooting 13-of-18 from the field, 2-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line, scoring a game-high 30 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, but with a -21 plus-minus rating.
Wembanyama dominated the Lakers on both ends of the court. In the first half, he shot 6-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-5 from three-point range, for 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. In the third quarter, he delivered consecutive dunks, and overall, he played 34 minutes, shooting 10-of-17 from the field, 2-of-6 from three-point range, and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, contributing 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.