Surging towards the All-Star break, the San Antonio Spurs will start a back-to-back state of affairs earlier than some much-deserved relaxation after they hit the street to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
The second half of the back-to-back for the Spurs, who arrive in California on a four-game profitable streak, will likely be in opposition to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in San Francisco. The All-Star Recreation will likely be within the Los Angeles space on Sunday.
The Lakers have been on a three-game profitable streak and had an eight-point lead within the third quarter on Monday earlier than falling 119-110 to the visiting Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. Los Angeles was with out Luka Doncic (hamstring) for the second consecutive recreation.
The Spurs bought previous the Thunder 116-106 on Wednesday, then earned consecutive victories over the Dallas Mavericks, together with a 138-125 residence choice on Saturday after they scored a season-high 81 factors within the first half.
Stephon Fort poured in a career-high 40 factors in a triple-double that included 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Victor Wembanyama added 16 factors and 11 rebounds.
“Having a recreation like that is positively a dream come true,” stated Fort, who shot 15 of 19 from the ground. “It is good to have (going) into the break and positively a very good signal. It felt good to be on the market and cozy with each shot I took and to see them go in.”
With a victory on Tuesday, San Antonio would match its longest profitable streak of the season, 5 video games, performed twice earlier than.
The Spurs have a 2-1 file in opposition to the Lakers going into the season finale between the groups. Fort is scoring 20.3 factors, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in opposition to Los Angeles this season.
In the newest recreation between the groups, the Spurs earned a 107-91 residence victory on Jan. 7 behind 27 factors from Keldon Johnson, matching his season excessive. It was the Lakers’ second-lowest scoring recreation of the season.
LeBron James logged 22 factors and 10 assists within the Lakers’ loss to the Thunder on Monday within the opener of the back-to-back. James performed a team-high 36 minutes. The 41-year-old veteran, in his file twenty third NBA season, has performed on consecutive days simply twice this season, each instances in mid-January.
Marcus Good added 19 factors for Los Angeles whereas Austin Reaves had 16 in his fourth recreation after lacking greater than a month with a calf pressure. The Lakers made half of their 84 pictures within the recreation however have been outscored 26-19 within the fourth quarter.
“I used to be fairly unhealthy in that second half,” stated Reaves, who shot 1 of seven from the ground and was known as for a technical foul after halftime. “I’ve to be higher than that.”
Now the Lakers could have restricted preparation time following a loss to the highest crew within the Western Convention earlier than going through the second-best membership, the Spurs.
“While you play the very best groups … you must have a extremely excessive stage of effort and you must have a extremely excessive stage of execution,” Los Angeles coach JJ Redick stated. “It is gotta be each. I assumed for probably the most half our effort was improbable (in opposition to the Thunder), and in the important thing stretches of the sport, our execution wasn’t nice.”
Whereas the Lakers are 14-8 in residence video games this season, the Spurs are 16-10 in street video games.
–Discipline Stage Media
