Marcus Smart owns up to critical mistake that almost cost LA Lakers victory vs Spurs

Marcus Smart apologizes for inbound violation

The Lakers were up 118-116 with a second remaining in the game when Smart was called for an inbound violation.

Smart quickly threw a Hail Mary pass to Rui Hachimura for an open layup, but he did not get both feet behind the line.

The referees pulled him up on the infringement and gave the Spurs an opportunity to tie or win the game with 0.4 seconds left.

Jake LaRavia then fouled Julian Champagnie on his attempted layup and sent him to the line for two free throws. 

Thankfully for the Lakers, Champagnie missed both, and the game ended 118-116, but Smart was still embarrassed about his mistake.

“As a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake,” he said. “I can’t even put the ball in their hands to have that call go against us.

“I take full ownership of it. My teammates understand, they’re gonna joke with me, they’re gonna let me hear about it, but it’ll never happen again.”

LA Lakers record when Marcus Smart starts speaks volumes

The Los Angeles Lakers are now second in the Western Conference standings with a 7-2 record.

And their start to the season is even more impressive when you consider that LeBron James has not played a single game.

The two main catalysts for the Lakers’ strong start have been Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but several other players have also stepped up.

JJ Redick’s team are actually 5-0 when Marcus Smart is in the starting lineup, highlighting how important his defense and playmaking are.

The 31-year-old is the perfect backcourt partner for Reaves or Doncic and should even keep his place when LeBron returns from injury.