Even with essentially his entire starting lineup unavailable because of injuries, Lakers coach JJ Redick still looked forward to competing against a worthy opponent in the San Antonio Spurs.
Even facing a Spurs team with the second-best record in the Western Conference without LeBron James (left foot arthritis), Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left calf injury), Marcus Smart (right ankle) and Deandre Ayton (right knee soreness), Redick still wanted his group to compete at a high level.
It’s just that Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama competed at a level the Lakers were unable to reach, the 7-foot-4 center dominating with his season-high-tying 40 points to go along with 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes during San Antonio’s easy 136-108 win Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Wembanyama had 25 points in the first quarter alone and 37 by halftime.
“I know right now we have to contend with him and he’s one of the five best players in the world,” Redick said. “He’s put that stamp on himself. It’s more than counting the stats with him, because there is such an avoidance of him defensively and there is an awareness you have from him defensively.”
Luke Kennard had 14 points and five assists, Drew Timme had 14 points and Bronny James had 12 points and six assists for the Lakers (32-21).
For LeBron James, missing the game meant the Lakers’ All-Star became ineligible for NBA postseason awards, ending his streak of making the All-NBA team at 21 seasons. The league’s threshold to be eligible for postseason awards is 65 games. The most James can reach is 64 if he does not sit out another game.
James, playing in his NBA-record 23rd season, missed the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica, making it difficult to meet the threshold.
Redick said James has been “dealing with the history of injuries he’s had and to start the year.”
“Just depends on how he wakes up the next day and as he goes through his treatment in the morning,” Redick added. “But we ruled him out.”
Doncic missed his third straight game with his injury. The Lakers next play Thursday night here against the Mavericks, Doncic’s former team. Redick said Doncic was listed as “day to day” when asked if his All-Star would play against the Mavericks.
Doncic, the leading-vote getter for Sunday’s All-Star Game, has been working out and playing some five-on-five action to get ready.
“Luka continues to progress,” Redick said.
Before playing in the last four games, Reaves had missed the previous 19 with his calf injury.
Redick said Reaves “was coming back from a tissue injury” and was “only going to play in one of these games.”
Redick said Smart tweaked his ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game and had a “pretty high level of soreness” when he woke up Tuesday.
Ayton had been listed as questionable and was being called a game-time decision before the game because Redick said Ayton is dealing with “his knee again.”
So, it was left up to the rest of the healthy Lakers to deal with Wembanyama and the Spurs.
The Lakers lost on Monday night to the Thunder, the defending NBA champions, who also have the best record in the league, and then had this back-to-back game against the tough Spurs.
“He makes me feel like a normal size dude,” Timme, who is 6-0, said laughing. “It’s crazy. But I mean, it’s that size, coordination and athleticism, it’s crazy. I mean, he’s really one of a kind. What they call him, the ‘Alien?’ Like, he’s a really good player. A lot of times people are like, ‘Well, if I had that height or if I had that…’ I mean, he has that but he also has the skill. I mean, he’s a really skilled, talented player and I think that’s why he’s so good. There’s a lot of tall players that can’t do that and I think that’s what really separates him.”
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