Stephon Castle proves why San Antonio is a force to be reckoned with in the West

Mack Baltes

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Stephon Castle proves why San Antonio is a force to be reckoned with in the West image

The San Antonio Spurs entered Wednesday night's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with a lot at stake.

Not only would a win allow them to advance to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals, but it would also move them within one game back of second place in a crowded Western Conference race.

Playing without Victor Wembanyama, against the trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, the Spurs seemed to be underdogs. However, on the road, San Antonio was in control throughout the entire game. The Spurs outscored Los Angeles in every quarter except the fourth, carrying a 12-point lead into the halftime break.

After leading by a margin of 24 at one point, San Antonio ultimately defeated Los Angeles 132-119.

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Stephon Castle shined the brightest for San Antonio, posting a season-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. De'Aaron Fox added 20 as the duo combined for 50 points. Keldon Johnson provided 17 points off the bench while Luke Kornet anchored the front of the rim with 10 points, eight rebounds and one block.

With the victory, the Spurs are now 7-3 in their last 10 games, posing a true threat in the Western Conference. Not to mention, Wembanyama has missed the last four weeks due to injury.

That said, he appears to be on track to return before the end of December.

San Antonio will now face a tough task, defeating the 24-1 Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday in order to advance to the NBA Cup Final.

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Contributing Writer