LeBron James was sidelined during Wednesday night’s NBA clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, which the Lakers won 122-119. His absence was due to discomfort in his left calf.
This game marked the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers, and James had already played a grueling 40 minutes in their previous matchup, a 127-125 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Stepping into the limelight, Anthony Davis delivered an impressive performance with 37 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals. This remarkable showing marked Davis’s third consecutive game with 37 points or more and extended the Spurs’ losing streak to a daunting 18 games.
For LeBron James, it was his first absence from a back-to-back game this season, as he had previously participated in all four such contests. This was only the second game he missed overall during his 21-year career. Rui Hachimura was given the starting nod in place of James. Meanwhile, Davis (dealing with a left hip issue) and Jarred Vanderbilt (suffering from back spasms) were initially listed as questionable but ultimately received clearance to play shortly before tipoff.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs Updates
The Lakers built a substantial lead, reaching as high as 20 points, before the Spurs made a late-game surge, spurred on by rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama. In the fourth quarter, San Antonio outscored the Lakers 45-30, making it a nail-biting finish. Wembanyama’s quick succession of back-to-back three-pointers and two successful free throws brought the Spurs within a single point of the Lakers, with the score at 117-116 and only 21.2 seconds remaining.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham emphasized the need for his team to blend their talent with sound judgment. He stated that it wasn’t solely about the opponent’s record but about the Lakers’ commitment to improving and establishing consistent winning habits. While satisfied with the win, Ham acknowledged that there were areas where the team needed improvement.
“We got to add common sense to our talent,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “It’s not so much about who we’re playing, what their record is. It’s about us and how we want to represent ourselves every time we step out on the floor: trying to get better, build winning habits, and be consistent with those winning habits. So, we’re fortunate to get that W.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs Updates
Following this victory, the Lakers will enjoy a day off on Thursday before facing the Spurs once more in San Antonio on Friday. Ham concluded by emphasizing the importance of being grateful for every win in the league but recognizing that there were still areas for the team to work on and refine.
“Whenever you can get a win in this league against whoever, you have to be thankful,” Ham explained. “But that said, there’s a lot of things we can take away that we know good damn well we need to get better at.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs Updates
Anthony Davis then displayed nerves of steel by sinking four consecutive free throws to secure the victory for the Lakers, despite a noteworthy performance by Wembanyama, who contributed 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks.
