Luka Doncic Leads Lakers to Thriller Over Spurs
The Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a nine-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 118–116, marking their fifth consecutive victory, according to News.Az citing ESPN.
Standout Performances
- Luka Doncic dominated with 35 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, and five steals. He scored eight points in the final quarter, including a key go-ahead three-pointer with 2:31 left.
- Deandre Ayton contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers.
- Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 19 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 1:39 remaining.
- Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan each added 16 points for the Spurs.
Game Highlights
In the closing moments, San Antonio still had a chance to win after Marcus Smart committed an inbound violation following Kelly Olynyk’s putback with 1.2 seconds left. Justin Champagnie was fouled while trying to tip in the Spurs’ inbound but missed his first free throw. No rebounder converted the second miss at the buzzer.
"Despite shooting just 9-for-27 from the field, Doncic’s playmaking and clutch scoring proved decisive in a foul-heavy contest."
Los Angeles shut down San Antonio’s offense for nearly 4½ minutes late in the contest to secure the win. Both Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan fouled out in the fourth quarter, further tipping momentum to the Lakers.
Current Standings
San Antonio dropped their second straight game after starting the season 5–0, while the Lakers continued their impressive winning streak with this thrilling victory.
Author’s summary: Luka Doncic’s clutch performance and leadership propelled the Lakers to a narrow 118–116 win over the Spurs, extending their winning streak to five games.