The Lakers’ home floor has long been a stage for stars. Tuesday night, it became Victor Wembanyama’s canvas.
With a performance that felt equal parts artistry and avalanche, the San Antonio Spurs rolled past a short-handed Los Angeles Lakers squad, 136–108, in a game that was effectively decided before halftime.
Wembanyama authored the kind of first half that turns heads across the league. The 7-foot-4 All-Star poured in 25 points in the opening quarter alone, scoring inside, outside and everywhere in between. Fadeaways over outstretched arms. Catch-and-shoot threes in rhythm. Swift drives that ended with soft finishes at the rim. By the time the teams walked into the locker room, Wembanyama had 37 points — finishing with 40 for the night — and the Spurs had posted 84 first-half points, the most ever surrendered by a Lakers team in a half.
The Lakers searched for answers and found none.
“I thought we started the game with the right amount of focus,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said.
San Antonio’s offense moved with purpose from the opening tip. The ball zipped around the perimeter, extra passes led to open looks, and turnovers quickly turned into transition buckets. The Spurs shot better than 50 percent from the field and collected 13 steals, repeatedly turning Los Angeles mistakes into easy points the other way.
While Wembanyama delivered the headline performance, the supporting cast ensured it became a rout.
“I think the two areas where he is hard to get resistance is space and momentum,” Johnson said of the Spurs’ franchise player. “There’s things for him to learn and for us to learn with him. But I thought he did a good job tonight of playing clean offensive basketball.”
Rookie Carter Bryant knocked down shots with confidence, finishing with a career-high 16 points, while fellow rookie Dylan Harper added 15 points and six assists, attacking gaps in the defense and keeping the offense sailing with ease. San Antonio’s bench maintained the tempo, preventing any sustained Lakers push.
Los Angeles, playing without LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Marcus Smart, and Austin Reaves, struggled to generate offense. The depleted lineup showed effort but lacked the firepower to match the Spurs’ early surge. Each brief Lakers run was met with another San Antonio response, the lead swelling past 20 — and eventually past 40 — before settling at 28 by the final horn.
By the fourth quarter, the only suspense remaining was the final margin.
“Playing against ‘bad teams’ who are missing players has been a problem,” Wembanyama said. “Tonight we had to make a statement and show our progress.”
For the Spurs, the victory was more than a lopsided score line. It was a statement of growth and cohesion, a young roster blending generational talent with developing depth. When Wembanyama ignites the way he did in Los Angeles, San Antonio’s ceiling rises dramatically.
On a night when the spotlight often shines brightest on the purple and gold, it was the Spurs who owned the stage — and they left it with one of their most emphatic wins of the season.
Game Notes
- Stephon Castle went down with a pelvis contusion and did not return. While x-rays were negative, Mitch Johnson expects Castle to be “more than pretty sore” tomorrow. I think it’s a safe bet Castle will miss Wednesday’s matchup with Golden State.
- Carter Bryant posted a career-high 16 points and continues to show why Coach Johnson has faith in him. What’s funny is the fans who wanted to trade for a good 4 or better wing player may already have that in Carter. The second half of the season will be huge for him.
- Harrison Barnes had a good night off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. He may not be able to start, but he is a solid player with the second unit.
- The lone sore spot for the Spurs offensively may have been Julian Champagnie, who shot 28 percent for the night.
