The Los Angeles Lakers were looking to get right after their defeat to the Warriors on Thursday and that's exactly what they did on the second night of their back-to-back this week. In a convincing win over the Spurs and star rookie Victor Wembanyama, the Lakers inched closer to a top-six seed and once again flexed their muscle on both sides of the floor in the 123-118 win
The veteran duo [James and Davis] shined for the Lakers in this one. They combined for nearly 60 points in the contest and were basically a two-man wrecking crew all night long. D'Angelo Russell continued his hot display of shooting, finishing with 22 points as the team's third-leading scorer.
Meanwhile, for the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama put up ridiculous numbers once again: 27 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists against one of the better defensive teams in the league. Unfortunately, the result was the same as it's been for most of the Spurs games this year (a loss). As usual, Wembanyama just didn't have enough help to get a win and it showed in the box score with Malaki Branham being the second-leading Spurs scorer in the game.
On social media, the fans were buzzing with reactions and many Lakers fans took to celebrating the win. "Still undefeated with this starting five," wrote one fan on X.
Some fans went so far as to make photos for the occasion, cropping LeBron James into pics of him "dominating" the Spurs.
While some critics remain unmoved by this win, many Lakers fans feel that their recent play has given them reason to be optimistic.
The win is far from a permanent solution for the Lakers but it is a sign that maybe they could pull off another miracle run like they did last year. The only key to success is good health and continued excellence from the King.
It remains to be seen how the Lakers stack up to the rest of the West, and what kind of threat they pose to the teams at the top. But if the Lakers are able to somehow secure a top-six seed before the playoffs it could make the difference for them between a memorable run or another first-round exit.
Are The Lakers Legitimate Title Contenders?
Tonight's win moved the Lakers up to 31-27 and kept them narrowly ahead of the Golden State Warriors in the standings. Even so, the Lakers are 9th in the West right now and currently 3.5 games back from a top-six seed. If the season ended today, the Lakers would have to win two play-in games just to qualify for the first round.
The problem for the team is on multiple fronts and it's impossible to blame any one person or source. Hot shooting from D'Angelo Russell has carried the Lakers over the past few weeks, but the depth leaves a lot to be desired and it remains to be seen if they have enough firepower off the bench to keep up with the competition.
But as long as the Lakers have a healthy LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and D'Angelo Russell, they can go toe-to-toe against the best and no team will want to face them in a 7-game series. Tonight was the perfect example of how dangerous they can be at their best and when they are locked-in like that, they can beat any team on any given night.
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