The Los Angeles Lakers overcame another night of roster absences to edge the San Antonio Spurs 105-103 on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Crypto.com Arena, extending their winning streak to five and pushing their record to 7-2.
Center Deandre Ayton posted a second straight double-double and said postgame that “togetherness” has carried the club through early-season injuries. “Calls weren’t going our way, but we stayed together,” Ayton said. “In games like this you just have to stay solid.”
The Lakers were without guard Austin Reaves for a second consecutive contest, while Luka Doncic, Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes have all missed time, and LeBron James has yet to debut this season. Despite the revolving lineup, head coach JJ Redick has emphasized defense and consistent effort. “JJ and the staff have been pushing us since training camp,” Ayton noted. “It’s championship mentality, championship shape, championship communication.”
Smart returned from his own brief absence to supply a season-high 17 points along with five rebounds and five assists. The Lakers tightened defensively in the final minutes, limiting fouls and turning stops into transition points to close out the two-point win.
Redick’s club entered the year with offensive expectations but has also delivered on the defensive end, a fact Ayton attributes to the coach’s daily focus on that side of the ball. “We’re not really depending on our offense,” the center said. “He wants our defense to create our offense.”
Los Angeles will attempt to keep its momentum when it hosts its next opponent on Friday.
Source: Lakers Nation
