Doncic runs into Wembanyama as Lakers depth laid bare

The Spurs won on roster depth. The Spurs won on on-court execution. Yes, San Antonio held firm during one of the most punishing stretches of the calendar – the immediate post-holiday grind, when fatigue piles up for teams and players alike. Just hours after a narrow loss in Memphis, where Santi Aldama swatted away the decisive shot to decide the winner, they returned home to face a depleted Los Angeles side and hit the bullseye.

It ended 107–91 on a long, draining night for the Lakers, tedious and seemingly endless. The triple-double from Luka Dončić – 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists – did little more than spare them outright embarrassment. A superb individual night for the Slovenian, steering alone. In a dreadful shooting display from deep – 4-for-25 for the hosts and 9-for-39 for the visitors – JJ Redick’s team also trailed in free throws (64%) and two-point shooting (53%) compared with their opponent.

With the win, the Spurs snapped a two-game skid and, looking more broadly at the turn-of-the-year stretch, four losses in five outings. Victor Wembanyama’s physical doubts were not a factor on Wednesday, with the Frenchman delivering a solid performance alongside his teammates. Keldon Johnson went with a short rotation – eight players, with the ninth seeing just 11 minutes – as a trial run for the steeper road ahead in the playoffs they expect to reach.

Wembanyama posted 16 points and 14 rebounds, part of a Spurs framework led by Johnson, who stood out above the rest with 27 points on just two missed shots. Stephon Castle added 15 and De’Aaron Fox 14, piling pressure on a rival that was missing Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura – and also rested LeBron James to avoid forcing the issue after beating the Pelicans the night before. That’s more than 30 points per game draining away for a California team already stretched thin.

The Lakers are progressively running out of bodies, failing to get those absentees back. Even with Jake LaRavia’s explosive start to the year and Dončić’s near-nightly support, it hasn’t been enough to win – especially against a team ahead of them in the conference standings. San Antonio sits second, with just 11 losses.

Beyond Jaxson Hayes, who was perfect from the field for 10 points, the Lakers’ bench misfired badly: Smith, Vincent, Kleber and Dalton Knecht – still not fully trusted by Redick – all struggled. Marcus Smart missed five of six shots, and Jarred Vanderbilt offered little, mirroring issues among the starters. Dončić is, indeed, very much alone when one or two teammates are absent – the story of the season, even if the standings look respectable. The Spurs patiently bored into a lifeless, disconnected Lakers side until the outcome was clear. Wembanyama supplied flashes of high voltage; away from the spotlight, Harrison Barnes was steadier but present, and Luke Kornet held his own against a frustrated Deandre Ayton. Fittingly, the night ended with a scuffle between Vanderbilt and Jeremy Sochan – an eye poke that captured the sour mood with which the purple and gold walked off.

Other results from the NBA:

• Nets 103 - Magic 104
• Knicks 123 - Clippers 111
• Hawks 117 - Pelicans 100
• Sixers 131 - Wizards 110
• Hornets 96 - Raptors 97
• Pistons 108 - Bulls 93
• Blazers 103 - Rockets 102
• Warriors 120 - Bucks 113
• Thunder 129 - Jazz 125
• Grizzlies 98 - Suns 117
• Celtics 110 - Nuggets 114

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