Wembanyama Scores 40 as Spurs Rout Injury-Depleted Lakers 136-108
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The San Antonio Spurs overpowered a depleted Los Angeles Lakers roster on Tuesday night, cruising to a 136-108 victory at Crypto.com Arena.
Rookie forward Victor Wembanyama set the tone immediately, pouring in 25 points during the game’s opening seven minutes and finishing with 40 points and 12 rebounds on 13-of-20 shooting in just 26 minutes. The win kept the Spurs firmly in second place in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers entered the second night of a back-to-back without Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Deandre Ayton, leaving head coach Darvin Ham with a makeshift rotation. Los Angeles fell behind 47-30 after one quarter and trailed 84-55 at halftime despite three-pointers from Kobe Bufkin and Bronny James.
San Antonio never relinquished control. Late in the second quarter, Spurs guard Stephon Castle exited after a hard fall while contesting a shot; he walked off under his own power but did not return. Los Angeles forward Jake LaRavia fouled out early in the third period, further thinning the Lakers’ ranks.
With the outcome decided, Ham deployed his younger players in the fourth quarter. Adou Thiero, back from a month-long absence with a knee injury, logged late minutes and capped his night with a highlight-reel dunk.
Up next: The Lakers wrap up the first half of the regular season Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks before heading into the All-Star break.
Source: LakersNation.com
