LeBron James’ emphatic one-handed dunk introduced the group at Crypto.com Area to its toes. It left Luke Kornet shrinking below James’ intense glare and scream. It should stay on within the soon-to-be 41-year-old’s spotlight reel, however for this evening, James needed it to fade into the background.
As a result of regardless that the second left his teammates leaping on the bench and gasping for air, it did nothing to stave off a Lakers loss.
“It was just a play,” James mentioned after the Lakers misplaced 132-119 to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, getting eradicated from NBA Cup play and establishing a regular-season matchup at Phoenix on Sunday at 5 p.m. PST.
The Lakers (17-7) went 2-3 throughout a revealing five-game stretch towards groups with successful data, and wanted fourth-quarter heroics to squeeze out each of their wins that got here by a mixed seven factors. The Lakers’ plus-1.5 scoring margin ranks fifteenth within the NBA after their final three losses got here by a mean of 16.3 factors.
“We really got to look ourselves in the mirror and figure out what we’re gonna do,” guard Marcus Sensible mentioned. “We’re going to lay down and get punked or we’re going to fight back. And I’m not the one that’s going to lay down and get punked.”
Listed here are three takeaways from the loss:
Marcus Sensible provides a spark
After lacking six video games due to a again damage, Sensible returned to attain a season-high 26 factors in 27 minutes, going eight for 13 from three-point vary with three rebounds and one help.
Sensible struggled with accidents whereas with Memphis and Washington after getting traded from Boston in 2023. He hoped that coming to the Lakers, with their everlasting championship ambitions, might assist him revitalize his profession. He acquired off to an uneven begin, lacking two of the primary 5 video games whereas taking pictures solely 25.4% from three-point vary.
Then he hit his highest three-point complete in a recreation since Jan. 5, 2024, on Wednesday.
“All I can do is control how I prepare, and that’s to make the shot,” Sensible mentioned. “I’ve been doing it — everything right. Tonight was the night for me, and hopefully that starts a trend for me to start making some shots consistently.”
Enjoying his highest minute complete since Nov. 14 towards New Orleans, Sensible mentioned his again “felt good” through the recreation. His solely bodily shortcoming was getting his wind again after being sidelined for 2 weeks. Coach JJ Redick, who referred to as Sensible the staff’s tone-setter on protection, counseled Sensible’s “care factor,” even when the Lakers fell behind by 18 within the second quarter.
Sensible didn’t rating any factors throughout a late second-quarter run that lower the Spurs lead from 17 to eight, however he performed key roles on each ends of the courtroom. His block on De’Aaron Fox‘s shot led to a Jaxson Hayes alley-oop dunk. Smart screened two Spurs players to clear the way for Luka Doncic on a driving layup with 1:51 remaining in the second quarter. Doncic immediately turned and pointed to Smart in appreciation.
“When he guards, when he talks to us, we listen,” said Doncic who finished with 35 points and eight assists, including three on Smart three-pointers in the third quarter. “Just got to be a little bit more of what he’s doing.”
Bench falls flat
Exterior of Sensible’s 26 factors, the Lakers bench produced solely 5 factors. Three got here from Dalton Knecht on a rubbish time three-pointer.
The Lakers have prolific scorers on their bench. Jake LaRavia’s 27-point outburst in Minnesota made him a viral sensation and earned him a customized “Who is No. 12?” T-shirt designed by basic supervisor Rob Pelinka. Gabe Vincent shot a scorching 55.6% from three-point vary through the preseason earlier than he suffered a sprained ankle within the third recreation of the common season.
However LaRavia and Vincent mixed for less than two photographs Wednesday. The one different common rotation participant who scored off the bench was Hayes.
Redick credited a number of the bench struggles to San Antonio’s defensive coverages. Regardless of not having Victor Wembanyama (calf), the Spurs used middle Luke Kornet equally to how Phoenix used Mark Williams to dare Doncic and Austin Reaves to shoot photographs within the paint as an alternative of letting the star guards play-make for others.
Reaves struggled offensively for the second consecutive recreation, taking pictures six for 16 from the sector for 15 factors. Reaves, who leads the staff in complete minutes whereas additionally rating second in factors per recreation with 28.4, has made 9 of 32 photographs within the final two video games.
Even Rui Hachimura, who had scored in double figures in every of the earlier three video games and made the game-winning shot in Toronto, had simply two shot makes an attempt within the first three quarters Wednesday. He completed with a quiet eight factors.
Redick has marveled on the method Hachimura can go lengthy stretches of video games with out touching the ball then nonetheless make essential photographs. Teammates have requested him for his recommendation on the best way to keep prepared when coming off the bench.
“[The ball is] gonna come eventually,” Hachimura mentioned earlier than Wednesday’s recreation. “And then that time comes, you have to make some moves. You have to do something about it, so you don’t want to be surprised when it gets [to you].”
No strings hooked up
The Lakers entered Wednesday’s recreation ranked twenty first in defensive ranking. They had been the fifth-worst staff in opponent three-point taking pictures proportion, permitting groups to shoot 38.2% from three. The proportion will get even worse after San Antonio (17-7) shot 44.7% from three on Wednesday.
Opponents have shot higher than 40% from past the arc in six of the final seven video games towards the Lakers. The Pelicans and Celtics each shot higher than 50% from three.
With out Wembanyama, the Spurs showcased their dynamic backcourt, led by Fox. The speedy guard who missed the final matchup towards the Lakers had 20 factors whereas Stephon Fort, final 12 months’s rookie of the 12 months, dropped 30 factors to associate with 10 rebounds and 6 assists on the Lakers, who merely had no solutions for the fast, athletic guards.
“Being able to contain the basketball is probably the most difficult thing for our team right now,” Redick mentioned.
Doncic and Reaves have turn into the very best scoring duo within the league, however the guards won’t ever be recognized for his or her defensive prowess. The soon-to-be 41-year-old James is effectively previous his time of being a daily defensive standout. If the Lakers can compete defensively, it needs to be as a unit, James careworn.
“Five guys being on a string,” James mentioned. “Obviously, you can’t do it individually by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string, communication, always at an all-time high.”
