The Los Angeles Lakers erased a double-digit deficit and edged the San Antonio Spurs 118-116 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, stretching their winning streak to five and moving to 7-2 on the season.
San Antonio struck first when Victor Wembanyama converted a put-back, and a Flagrant 1 on Marcus Smart led to a six-point possession that pushed the visitors ahead early. Luka Doncic answered with a deep three but started slowly overall, and Los Angeles trailed 29-26 after one quarter.
Wembanyama picked up his third foul less than a minute into the second period, sending him to the bench and opening the paint for the Lakers. Doncic found Rui Hachimura for a corner three to seize a 47-46 advantage, and Los Angeles carried a 60-59 edge into halftime as Doncic filled the box score at both ends.
Smart scored the Lakers’ first five points of the third, yet the Spurs caught fire from beyond the arc and reclaimed the lead with a Wembanyama dunk. San Antonio capitalized at the free-throw line while the Lakers went cold, building a 96-88 cushion entering the fourth.
Early in the final quarter Wembanyama committed his fifth foul, allowing the Lakers to chip away. Doncic soon picked up his own fifth but stayed on the floor, and a Hachimura triple cut the gap to two. Doncic drilled a long three to put Los Angeles ahead in the closing minutes, and Wembanyama fouled out on a charge drawn by Hachimura. The Spurs still had a chance to force overtime, yet a missed free throw with one second left preserved the Lakers’ comeback win.
Los Angeles opens a five-game road trip Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks before visiting the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.
Source: Lakers Nation
