After their three-game winning streak ended on Tuesday in Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers got back into the victory column with a 105-94 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
It was their first road win of the season, and although it wasn’t a thing of beauty for 48 minutes, they showed spurts of very strong play.
LeBron James was back after missing five games due to a strained adductor, and with him showing signs of rust, it was L.A.’s defense that led the way. It held the Spurs to just 38.0 percent shooting overall and 18.2 percent from 3-point range.
The Lakers got out to a 59-41 halftime lead before they went flat and got outscored 34-20 in the third quarter. But three consecutive fast-break buckets in the fourth period boosted their lead back to 14, and San Antonio wouldn’t threaten again.
Anthony Davis: B+/A-
Davis was quieter tonight than he has been lately. After four consecutive 30-point, 15-rebound outings, the Spurs double-teamed him often, especially on the perimeter. But when he did have the ball with an opportunity to score, Davis made the most of it.
He shot 10-of-13 to finish with 25 points, to go along with 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots.
LeBron James: C
James’ first game back was marred by some considerable rust. He committed six turnovers in the first half and nine for the game, as his passing and playmaking rhythm just wasn’t there.
Other than that, he paced himself and was reasonably efficient, shooting 8-of-17 and scoring 21 points while also contributing eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in 33 minutes.
Troy Brown Jr.: B+
After failing to hit a 3-pointer is his last two contests, Brown made both of his attempts from downtown tonight. Overall, he was 4-of-5 for 10 points, and he also added four rebounds and a steal.
Dennis Schroder: B
Schroder got the start at point guard tonight in place of the suspended Patrick Beverley. He made 3-of-7 shots and scored nine points in 29 minutes to go along with five assists, three rebounds, one steal and only one turnover.
Lonnie Walker IV: A-
Walker continued his stellar play with 18 points while hitting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc and adding three steals in 34 minutes.
Right now, he may be the Lakers’ third-best scorer, especially considering how well his efficiency has held up from game to game.
Wenyen Gabriel: A-
Gabriel made an immediate impact with four first-quarter rebounds. On one sequence, he had two offensive boards on the same possession which resulted in a 3-pointer. Moments later, he grabbed a defensive rebound and threw a beautiful outlet pass that led to a fast-break dunk by Russell Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook: C-
Westbrook had a rough night offensively, as he missed all but one of his seven field-goal attempts. But he did get four rebounds and dish off seven assists, and he even added two steals and a blocked shot.
Austin Reaves: C+/B-
This was the first time in six games that Reaves did not score in double figures. He was 3-of-8 overall and 0-of-3 from deep, but his six rebounds, two assists and one steal helped L.A.’s cause.
Kendrick Nunn: C-
Beverley’s suspension meant more playing time for Nunn. He was on the floor for 16 minutes, but he never got into a rhythm, as he was just 3-of-9 overall and 1-of-5 from downtown for nine points plus two rebounds and one assist.
Juan Toscano-Anderson, Max Christie: Incomplete
Both Toscano-Anderson and Christie got into the game at the very end, and neither was able to make any contribution on the stat sheet.
