The Los Angeles Lakers entered Wednesday night's game looking to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas. After going 4-0 in Group Play, Los Angeles had the honor to host San Antonio who finished 3-1 in the Group Stage.
Although San Antonio was without Victor Wembanyama, they proved to be the better team. Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox combined for 50 points, as the Spurs shot 50% from the field and 45% from three-point range en route to a 132-119 victory.
On the losing side, Luka Doncic scored 35 points to go along with eight assists and five rebounds. LeBron James posted a near triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks.
That said, one of the most impressive performances of the night came from Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart. Smart returned to the rotation after missing six games due to a back injury and posted his strongest performance of the season. Smart scored a season-high 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting including 8-for-14 from downtown. Besides Smart, the Lakers only scored five points off of the bench, with Jaxson Hayes finishing a lob from Doncic and Dalton Knecht knocking down a three in garbage time.
With the loss, Los Angeles drops out of a tie for second place in the Western Conference and is also eliminated from NBA Cup contention.
The NBA Cup semifinals will begin on Saturday, with San Antonio advancing to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As for the Lakers, they'll return to play on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.
More NBA news:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named Canada's best athlete in 2025
- Pistons' head coach forgot about Victor Wembanyama
- LeBron James' agent Rich Paul doubts Lakers can fulfill final wish for 4-time NBA champion
- Latest Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumor from ESPN insider is bad news for Knicks
- ‘I still kick myself’: Stan Van Gundy opens up about passing on Devin Booker