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Dave McMenamin
LOS ANGELES — With real stakes on the line for the Lakers in the NBA Cup quarterfinals — a $530,000 cash prize per player and a second Cup championship in three years for the franchise hinging on the result — L.A. was thoroughly outplayed in a 132-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
The Spurs exposed the Lakers’ already suspect perimeter defense, which ranked in the bottom five in the league in opponents’ 3-point percentage (38.2%), by hitting 17-of-38 from the outside (44.7%) and leading by as many as 24 points in the elimination game for the in-season tournament.
When the Spurs weren’t launching from beyond the arc, their guards were penetrating into the paint, compromising L.A.’s interior defense so much the Lakers often had no choice but to foul. San Antonio went 29-for-36 from the foul line compared with the Lakers’ 17-for-23.
And when the Spurs weren’t hurting L.A. in those areas, they were torching the Lakers in transition. San Antonio scored 35 points in transition Wednesday — its season high and the most allowed in a game by the Lakers this season, according to GeniusIQ.
Despite L.A.’s 17-7 start to the season, the loss mirrored many of the Lakers’ other lopsided defeats in the first quarter of the regular-season schedule.
And it came two days after the agent for one of the team’s most prominent players declared he didn’t believe the Lakers were built for a long postseason run.
Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports and the longtime friend and representative of LeBron James, said as much on the debut of his new podcast, «Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul,» released Monday.
«I don’t think they have enough to get to the Western Conference finals,» Paul said. «I don’t think they have enough to really contend, from that perspective.»
It would appear Paul’s client disagrees with him.
After the loss to the Spurs, James was asked if L.A.’s showing in the NBA Cup will have any bearing on his team’s playoff outlook and the 23-year veteran said that discussion was entirely premature.
«I can’t think about what we can do in the playoffs in December,» James said after finishing with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists. «What I can say is that the habits that we build throughout the regular season each month [are what is important]. If we are in a position to make it to the postseason and be able to get to that point, well, we have to build it now.
«But as far as talking about what type of damage we’re going to do in the postseason in December, that’s not right for the basketball gods, not for me.»
Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t speak about the Lakers’ championship chances before Wednesday’s game, but he did address the nature of being a part of an organization such as the Lakers, where seemingly everyone has an opinion — good or bad — about where the team stands day to day.
«Because sports are an emotional game, both from participation and from fandom, it’s hard not to have overreactions,» Redick said.
Yet there was a measured chorus of agreement heard in the Lakers’ postgame comments pointing to concerns with their defense.
«They were just going downhill, driving and kick,» said Luka Doncic, whose 35 points and eight assists wasn’t enough to mask L.A.’s problems on defense. «Each one of us got to be better.»
Said Redick: «I think being able to contain the basketball is probably the most difficult thing for our team right now.»
James pointed to «five guys being on a string» as the key to the Lakers coalescing on defense with communication fortifying the connection in covering the court.
San Antonio, meanwhile, won its 12th straight game without Victor Wembanyama, who is sidelined with a calf strain.
L.A. doesn’t have a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate on the injured list waiting to rejoin it. This is what the Lakers have, and if they don’t improve together, Paul’s comments could prove more prescient than premature.
«The spirit’s still high in here. We know we can do it,» Austin Reaves said. «But we have to be a group that guards with five people.»
