WIN AGAIN!! Spurs play with energy but can’t compete with Lakers in blowout loss

The Spurs couldn’t pull off the upset in their visit to Los Angeles.

They played hard but were completely outclassed by the LeBron James-less Lakers en route to a 125-109 loss that was more lopsided than the final score suggests.

The question the Spurs needed to answer if they hoped to string together wins in their visit to Los Angeles was how they would slow down Luka Doncic.

They simply couldn’t early on. Stephon Castle tried to be physical with him, but the wily veteran took advantage of that to get him in foul trouble. The home team got a lot of whistles, but they didn’t just have an advantage from the line.

They connected from beyond the arc as well thanks to a San Antonio defense that couldn’t contain the ball handler and was on rotation most of the time, eventually leaving someone open.

The Silver and Black also relied on jumpers, mostly from a red-hot Devin Vassell, as the pace was too slow and the spacing was not good enough to get them buckets inside. The Lakers controlled the game throughout the first frame and had a deserved 10-point lead after one.

Not much changed in the second period. The Spurs desperately needed a spark off the bench but this time Keldon Johnson couldn’t provide it.

Blake Wesley had a strong stretch and Jeremy Sochan was playing as hard as he ever does, but the defensive-minded bench guys couldn’t lead units that got consistent stops or guarded without fouling.

Vassell stayed hot and the home team didn’t play with a lot of urgency, which allowed San Antonio to hang around despite poor play on both ends.

As the minutes passed Los Angeles stretched the lead to 17 and it seemed like they could essentially end the game before the break, but Stephon Castle had a couple of timely buckets and Keldon Johnson got his first two points to keep the Silver and Black within striking distance. Heading into the locker room, the Lakers led by 14.

Curiously, Castle’s foul trouble helped the Silver and Black in the opening minutes of the second half.

Doncic seemed to be on a mission to get the rookie his fourth, attacking him one-on-one instead of running the offense.

He couldn’t get him but Castle made a mistake on a loose ball and had to sit for a while.

Once the home team started to go back to its pick-and-roll heavy attack alternating between Doncic and an inspired Austin Reaves, they started to put points on the board with ease.

San Antonio, meanwhile, was playing Sochan and Biyombo together again and had no one who could hit the jumpers that kept them in it earlier, as Vassell and Paul cooled down.

The Lakers’ lead ballooned to 28 points. Fortunately for the Spurs, their hosts grew complacent and allowed them to close strong and trail by just 19 heading into the final period.

Momentum was on San Antonio’s side in the opening minute, and the deficit was cut to just 13 before Reaves put his team on his back to stop the bleeding.

After taking the Spurs’ best punch to the face and rallying, the Lakers once again looked fully in control. An incident that got Sochan and Jarred Vanderbilt ejected didn’t seem to affect things too much.

It looked like most of the fourth would be garbage time, but Castle led a comeback attempt that forced JJ Redick to bring Doncic back into the game.

The Spurs continued to push, but they had neither the time to chip away slowly at the lead nor the firepower to make a huge run in the scarce time left. Both coaches emptied the bench and the home crowd got to see a Bronny James three before the final buzzer.

Game notes

The veterans weren’t of much help on Monday. Chris Paul hit some jumpers but was sloppy with the ball and had no one to guard. The Lakers made it a point to stop Harrison Barnes from posting up, so he couldn’t offer an alternative on offense when all else failed. Biyombo made some mistakes guarding the pick and roll and killed the spacing when paired with Sochan.
What to make of Stephon Castle’s game? Some of the fouls were avoidable but he’s a rookie so he should get a pass. At the same time, he should know who Luka Doncic is and if he’s going to start, he can’t be reckless. The scoring explosion in the second half was great, but he completely monopolized the ball. Ultimately, he played like a really talented rookie who still needs experience.
Devin Vassell started out strong and kept the Spurs in it before fading in the second half. Castle having the ball in his hands as much as he did probably got him out of rhythm, but Vassell should be able to just call for the ball instead of fading into the background. Still, he continued to show flashes of active defense, so the encouraging signs are still there.
Keldon Johnson, just like Vassell, made plays on defense. He struggled in the first half but got some buckets in the second. Julian Champagnie hit a couple of threes and had five assists, which is surprising for a player of his skill set. Sochan was good as backup center and probably shouldn’t have been ejected. Mamu had 10 points on six shots in 13 minutes. Good stuff from the main bench guys, who weren’t as sharp as in recent games but still contributed.
Blake Wesley was also good off the bench, dishing assists and playing energetic defense. It’s not hard to see Wesley turning into a Patrick Beverley/Kris Dunn type of 3-and-D small guard if the shot ever develops, as it did over time for those other guys. He’s young, so he has time. Do the Spurs have the patience, though? They picked up his option, but next season will be the last on his rookie contract. If he continues to get completely ignored off the ball, as he did on Monday, for another year, no one could blame San Antonio for moving on. Wesley might turn into a quality player, but it might not be with the team that drafted him.