When the Lakers opened their homestand with back-to-back wins over the 76ers and Warriors, giving them a three-game winning streak for the first time in a month, it looked like they were primed to head into the All-Star break with momentum on their side.
Forty-eight hours can change a lot.
Because once it became clear they’d be without most of their main players on Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, with Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves among the players who were in street clothes on the team’s bench, it was all but certain that the Lakers were going to drop back-to-back games after losing to the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
And Spurs star Victor Wembanyama ensured that would be the case, recording a game-best 40 points (13-of-20 shooting) to go with 12 rebounds en route to handing the Lakers a 136-108 defeat at Crypto.com Arena.
Dendre Ayton and Marcus Smart were also sidelined for the Lakers.
With the Lakers short-handed, Luke Kennard and Drew Timme led the under-manned team with 14 points apiece.
But the Spurs carved up their defense with ease, shooting 56.5% from the field.
The Lakers dropped to 32-21 on the season, but maintained their No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings because they own the tiebreaker over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They’re looking to avoid their third three-game losing streak since mid-December.
That’s when the Lakers announced they’d be without Doncic, James, Reaves and Smart.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
