Doncic outshines Wembanyama

Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs starred in a thrilling duel where Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama stole the spotlight. Despite a modest performance from the Frenchman, the Spurs dominated much of the final quarter, but the Lakers reacted in time and secured a nail-biting 118-116 victory after coming back from a 106-97 deficit.

The game took a turn in the final minutes. Doncic, once again decisive, nailed a step-back three-pointer with 2:31 remaining, putting the Lakers ahead (113-112) for the first time in the closing stretch. Shortly after, Wembanyama committed his sixth personal foul, being punished with an offensive charge, leading to his exclusion from the game at a crucial moment. Without their star on the court, San Antonio couldn't regain control.

Doncic flirted with a triple-double, tallying 35 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals, although he had an inconsistent shooting night (9 for 27). Nevertheless, he led the Lakers' comeback, resisting the push from the Spurs and clinching an important win against one of the most promising teams in the West.

Wembanyama also fell short of his best form. The French center finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block, shooting 5 of 14 from the field. It was his second consecutive game struggling to impose his rhythm, and to make matters worse, he watched from the bench the final 100 seconds after fouling out.

Tense Finale of the Match

The ending was tense. The Lakers narrowly avoided complications in the closing seconds: Marcus Smart lost the ball on an inbounds pass with 1.2 seconds left, and then Julian Champagnie had the chance to tie from the free-throw line with just 0.2 seconds remaining, but missed both attempts.

The victory leaves the Lakers with a 7-2 record, the second best in the West, despite the absences of their key figures. Doncic has already missed four out of nine games played, LeBron James has yet to debut this season due to sciatica, and Austin Reaves, a standout at the start of the season, was sidelined with groin discomfort.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Doncic se come a Wembanyama