Spurs
Opposing defenses appear to be catching up to Victor Wembanyama, and San Antonio has yet to find an answer. The 20-year-old center scored 19 points on 5-for-14 shooting, committed five turnovers and fouled out with 1:40 remaining in Wednesday’s 118-116 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Two nights earlier, Phoenix limited him to nine points and forced six turnovers.
“Mostly it was the doubling. The game feels fast right now. We need to adapt,” Wembanyama said after the game.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson offered a blunt solution. “We need to get him the ball in better spots,” Johnson said. “He needs to demand it and yell at everybody in the gym.”
All five Spurs starters scored at least 14 points, and the bench won its minutes, yet San Antonio still slipped to its second straight defeat. Julian Champagnie had a chance to force overtime, but missed his first free throw with 0.2 seconds left and watched Keldon Johnson’s ensuing tip roll off the rim.
Kings
Russell Westbrook, now 36, produced his second monster stat line in a week, powering Sacramento past Golden State despite both teams being short-handed. With Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Keegan Murray sidelined, Westbrook delivered 23 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 112-108 victory.
The veteran guard tipped a crucial rebound to Dennis Schröder for a late corner three, grabbed two more boards to drain the clock and forced a turnover with 8.9 seconds remaining to secure the win. His 16 rebounds moved him ahead of Jason Kidd for the most in NBA history by a guard at 8,734.
“Humbly speaking, I’m the best rebounding guard ever,” Westbrook said. Signed shortly before training camp and used sparingly in the season’s opening week, he is now entrenched in the starting lineup. “We needed it bad,” Malik Monk added. “He brings more oomph and energy.”
Grizzlies
Ja Morant can legally be traded this season, but finding a realistic bidder remains complicated. ESPN’s Bobby Marks singled out Houston as the franchise that makes the most sense on paper after Fred VanVleet’s season-ending injury; the Rockets sit approximately $1.2 million below the first tax apron.
A workable package would likely include VanVleet plus additional salaries such as Dorian Finney-Smith or Steven Adams, and possibly Clint Capela, creating significant cap gymnastics. Morant, 26, is in the first year of a five-year, $197 million extension and has two full seasons left after this one, making him a premium asset.
Marks compared a potential return to last season’s Kyrie Irving trade, which netted Brooklyn Spencer Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and two second-rounders. Irving was 31 and on an expiring contract; Morant is younger and under long-term control.
Morant has not requested a trade and is currently focused on integrating into coach Tuomas Iisalo’s system. However, Memphis is walking a fine line between keeping an All-Star and evaluating a market that could reshape its future.
Source: Hoops Wire
