After the Montreal Canadiens lost Tuesday night’s game 6-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the organization decided to call up three players from the Laval Rocket: Adam Engstrom, Owen Beck, and Jacob Fowler. It’s the goaltender’s presence amongst the recalls that raised more than a few eyebrows.
Media and pundits alike had previously operated under the assumption that Fowler, who is primarily seen as the Canadiens’ goaltender of the future, would be spending the entire season honing his skills and getting used to the pro level in the AHL. That assumption led them all to conclude that the move was a desperate move stemming from Samuel Montembeault’s and Jakub Dobes’ performances this season.
But after Tuesday morning’s practice, coach Martin St-Louis was a man on a PR mission. He said several times that the plan had always been to see what Fowler could do at the NHL level this year, and that now was as good a time as any, given the schedule, adding that he would have been surprised if the youngster didn’t get a game in the NHL this season.
When told that the move was primarily seen as a panic move because of the Habs’ current goalie predicament, St-Louis dismissed the idea. He argued that the situation the Canadiens find themselves in was caused by poor collective play, by the way the team played in front of the goaltenders, rather than by their own performances.
While he has a point about the team not consistently playing well in front of the masked men, taking the responsibility away from the goaltenders serves one specific purpose: to make it clear that Fowler is not coming in as the saviour of the team. This is a smart move, especially considering that the Montreal market is a pressure cooker for any player, but even more so for the netminders.
The coach added that he didn’t know if Fowler would play in the upcoming road trip, but that if he didn’t, he would still gain valuable experience just being around the team. Still, I believe the rookie will get a game sooner rather than later and hopefully, the rest of the team will play well in front of him, giving him a real chance to show what he can do.
Lakers guard Marcus Smart challenges Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk for a rebound during their NBA Cup game on Wednesday night at Crypto.Com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
LeBron James’ emphatic one-handed dunk brought the crowd at Crypto.com Arena to its feet. It left Luke Kornet shrinking under James’ intense glare and scream. It will live on in the soon-to-be 41-year-old’s highlight reel, but for this night, James wanted it to fade into the background.
Because even though the moment left his teammates jumping on the bench and gasping for air, it did nothing to stave off a Lakers loss.
“It was just a play,” James said after the Lakers lost 132-119 to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, getting eliminated from NBA Cup play and setting up a regular-season matchup at Phoenix on Sunday at 5 p.m. PST.
The Lakers (17-7) went 2-3 during a revealing five-game stretch against teams with winning records, and needed fourth-quarter heroics to squeeze out both of their wins that came by a combined seven points. The Lakers’ plus-1.5 scoring margin ranks 15th in the NBA after their last three losses came by an average of 16.3 points.
“We really got to look ourselves in the mirror and figure out what we're gonna do,” guard Marcus Smart said. “We're going to lay down and get punked or we're going to fight back. And I'm not the one that's going to lay down and get punked.”
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
Marcus Smart adds a spark
After missing six games because of a back injury, Smart returned to score a season-high 26 points in 27 minutes, going eight for 13 from three-point range with three rebounds and one assist.
Smart struggled with injuries while with Memphis and Washington after getting traded from Boston in 2023. He hoped that coming to the Lakers, with their eternal championship ambitions, could help him revitalize his career. He got off to an uneven start, missing two of the first five games while shooting only 25.4% from three-point range.
Then he hit his highest three-point total in a game since Jan. 5, 2024, on Wednesday.
“All I can do is control how I prepare, and that's to make the shot,” Smart said. “I've been doing it — everything right. Tonight was the night for me, and hopefully that starts a trend for me to start making some shots consistently.”
Playing his highest minute total since Nov. 14 against New Orleans, Smart said his back “felt good” during the game. His only physical shortcoming was getting his wind back after being sidelined for two weeks. Coach JJ Redick, who called Smart the team’s tone-setter on defense, commended Smart’s “care factor," even when the Lakers fell behind by 18 in the second quarter.
Smart didn’t score any points during a late second-quarter run that cut the Spurs lead from 17 to eight, but he played key roles on both ends of the court. His block on De’Aaron Fox's shot led to a Jaxson Hayes alley-oop dunk. Smart screened two Spurs players to clear the way for Luka Doncic on a driving layup with 1:51 remaining in the second quarter. Doncic immediately turned and pointed to Smart in appreciation.
“When he guards, when he talks to us, we listen,” said Doncic who finished with 35 points and eight assists, including three on Smart three-pointers in the third quarter. “Just got to be a little bit more of what he’s doing.”
Bench falls flat
Outside of Smart’s 26 points, the Lakers bench produced only five points. Three came from Dalton Knecht on a garbage time three-pointer.
The Lakers have prolific scorers on their bench. Jake LaRavia’s 27-point outburst in Minnesota made him a viral sensation and earned him a custom “Who is No. 12?” T-shirt designed by general manager Rob Pelinka. Gabe Vincent shot a sizzling 55.6% from three-point range during the preseason before he suffered a sprained ankle in the third game of the regular season.
But LaRavia and Vincent combined for only two shots Wednesday. The only other regular rotation player who scored off the bench was Hayes.
Redick credited some of the bench struggles to San Antonio’s defensive coverages. Despite not having Victor Wembanyama (calf), the Spurs used center Luke Kornet similarly to how Phoenix used Mark Williams to dare Doncic and Austin Reaves to shoot shots in the paint instead of letting the star guards play-make for others.
Reaves struggled offensively for the second consecutive game, shooting six for 16 from the field for 15 points. Reaves, who leads the team in total minutes while also ranking second in points per game with 28.4, has made nine of 32 shots in the last two games.
Even Rui Hachimura, who had scored in double figures in each of the previous three games and made the game-winning shot in Toronto, had just two shot attempts in the first three quarters Wednesday. He finished with a quiet eight points.
Redick has marveled at the way Hachimura can go long stretches of games without touching the ball then still make crucial shots. Teammates have asked him for his advice on how to stay ready when coming off the bench.
“[The ball is] gonna come eventually,” Hachimura said before Wednesday's game. “And then that time comes, you have to make some moves. You have to do something about it, so you don't want to be surprised when it gets [to you].”
No strings attached
The Lakers entered Wednesday’s game ranked 21st in defensive rating. They were the fifth-worst team in opponent three-point shooting percentage, allowing teams to shoot 38.2% from three. The percentage will get even worse after San Antonio (17-7) shot 44.7% from three on Wednesday.
Opponents have shot better than 40% from beyond the arc in six of the last seven games against the Lakers. The Pelicans and Celtics both shot better than 50% from three.
Without Wembanyama, the Spurs showcased their dynamic backcourt, led by Fox. The speedy guard who missed the last matchup against the Lakers had 20 points while Stephon Castle, last year’s rookie of the year, dropped 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists on the Lakers, who simply had no answers for the quick, athletic guards.
“Being able to contain the basketball is probably the most difficult thing for our team right now,” Redick said.
Doncic and Reaves have become the highest scoring duo in the league, but the guards will never be known for their defensive prowess. The soon-to-be 41-year-old James is well past his time of being a regular defensive standout. If the Lakers can compete defensively, it has to be as a unit, James stressed.
“Five guys being on a string,” James said. “Obviously, you can't do it individually by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string, communication, always at an all-time high.”
The world of soccer throws up no shortage of questions on a regular basis. In today’s column, we endeavor to answer three of them
Lionel Messi is a MLS Cup winner. That might rank lowly on the GOAT’s list of career achievements, but it was clear in the Argentine’s celebrations after the 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in Saturday’s championship game just how much this meant. Even for Messi, this was more than just another trophy. This was a ‘mission accomplished’ moment.
No one knows what the future holds for Jonathan Kuminga, not even his own coach.
Fresh off a DNP-CD (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision) in the Warriors’ win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, Kuminga’s role with Golden State — once again — is in question moving forward. A two-year, $48.5 million contract resolved a months-long standoff this past offseason between Kuminga’s camp and the Warriors. However, his fluctuating minutes and being in and out of Kerr’s rotations — as he has been over the last four years with Golden State — reintroduce some questions and concerns.
Kerr, speaking to reporters after practice Wednesday, shared that the offseason contract saga isn’t affecting things on his end, but the coach could see it lingering over Kuminga.
“It’s not impacting anything for us. So you’d have to ask him. I can imagine it’s not easy for him, and we’ve talked about the situation. My desire for JK is to become the best player he can possibly be, regardless of where he ends up, whether it’s here or elsewhere.
“I tell my guys a lot, there’s so few players who end up playing for one team their entire career. It rarely happens. I played for six different teams. None of us know what’s going to happen with JK or pretty much any of our guys, although I would advise Mike [Dunleavy] not to trade Steph [Curry].”
Kuminga’s DNP-CD in Chicago was his first of the 2025-26 season, and just the latest bump of his up-and-down Warriors tenure.
Kerr later explained the reasoning behind his decision to bench Kuminga, frankly stating that the young wing hadn’t been playing well at that time.
Almost instantly, trade rumors began to fly as ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported that the Warriors are expected to explore Kuminga’s trade market in the coming weeks, with the possibility of a divorce before the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline remaining “strong.” One of Kuminga’s offseason trade interests, the Sacramento Kings, reportedly still are open to continuing negotiations with Golden State.
“But this is part of being in the league,” Kerr told reporters. “I’ve talked to Moses [Moody] about this, I’ve talked to JK about it. I’ve talked to most of our guys, really. It’s a really weird league. It’s a weird business to be in because you have to fully commit to the team that you’re playing for, knowing full well that that team may trade you or cut you. And that’s a really hard thing to reconcile as a player. But the sooner guys can recognize it, the better. The guys who end up playing for a long time figure that out, and they understand that you can’t just say, ‘Fine, I’ll be a mercenary’ either.
“You really do have to commit to whatever group you’re with. But if you’re getting moved around, it’s not easy to deal with, especially if you’ve never been traded. That first one is weird and difficult. And I can speak from experience. It’s not an easy situation, but nobody knows what’s going to happen. My goal is to get JK to play at the highest level that’ll help us win that he can.”
The Warriors host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and it’s evident there will be extra eyes on how — and if — Kerr plugs Kuminga back into his rotation or not.
A former NRL referee has been spared jail after abusing his position of trust as a school principal by putting Indigenous students into choke holds and painfully twisting their ears.
Gavin Morris was found guilty of four counts of aggravated assault and on Thursday was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment fully suspended for two years on condition he be of good behaviour.
McIlroy, Littler, Norris and Kildunne also up for award
The England teammates Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are up against one another for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on a shortlist that also includes Lando Norris, Rory McIlroy, Luke Littler and Ellie Kildunne.
Kelly and Hampton were at the centre of England’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Spain in the Euro 2025 final, with Kelly scoring the winning spot-kick after Hampton had made two critical saves. For Kelly, it came after a difficult period personally, but after leaving Manchester City for Arsenal within months she was a European champion and Champions League winner. Hampton’s heroics saw the Chelsea stopper win the Yashin Trophy for the world’s best female goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or awards.
Dutch rising star has gone from not knowing ‘how to grip the dart’ to a dark horse for the PDC world championship
It’s the deciding leg of the European Championship final. Gian van Veen, the 23-year-old from the Netherlands chasing his first major title, has just missed two match darts to win 11-9. Luke Humphries, world No 1 at the time, starts the final leg with a 140.
“Oh, you’ve blown it here,” Van Veen replies when asked to describe his internal monologue during that moment in October. “Luke Humphries is not going to crumble under this pressure. Maybe it was a negative thought. But it also released some pressure for me, in a way.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.8 points per game this season [Getty Images]
The Oklahoma City Thunder equalled the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history as they overpowered the Phoenix Suns 138-89 in the NBA Cup quarter-finals.
Defending champions the Thunder have won 24 of their first 25 games, equalling the Golden State Warriors' record from 2015-16.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last season's Most Valuable Player, scored 28 points at Paycom Center, hitting the 20-point mark for a 96th straight game.
It was a franchise record 16th straight win for the Thunder, who face the San Antonio Spurs in the semi-finals in Las Vegas on Saturday.
"Winning is never boring," said Thunder forward Jalen Williams.
The Thunder have won 92 of their 107 regular-season games since the start of 2024-25, having topped last season's Western Conference with a 68-14 record.
The record for most wins in an NBA season is 73, achieved by the Warriors in 2015-16.
The Spurs reached the semi-finals by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119 at Crypto.com Arena.
The NBA Cup is the competition's annual in-season tournament, with all matches except the final counting towards the regular-season standings.
The Thunder were beaten in last year's final by the Milwaukee Bucks.
LOS ANGELES — Before his San Antonio Spurs went on to beat the Lakers with him watching in street clothes Wednesday night, Victor Wembanyama was out on the court, getting in a little light work. He looked good, moved well and didn't have any kind of wrap on his strained calf.
Is there a chance we see Wembanyama on the court in Las Vegas on Saturday for the NBA Cup semifinals against the Thunder?
"Very much," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the Spurs' win. "He had a really good day today. He had a very intense day this morning, and we have to see how he responds and reacts tomorrow."
It has been reported that Wemby was close to a return, and his on-court pregame work on Wednesday evening after an intense workout earlier in the day is a good sign.
Wembanyama has been out since Nov. 15 with a calf strain, missing a dozen games. Behind inspired play from De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper as a guard trio the Spurs have gone 9-3 in those 12 games, including beating the Lakers Wednesday to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.
Already an All-Star, Wemby looked like a player making another leap this season, averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots a game prior to his injury. He looked like an All-NBA player and someone who, in his third season, could even end up on a lot of MVP ballots.
San Antonio will need that guy to have a chance against the 24-1 Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinal Saturday in Las Vegas.
With the NBA Cup creating an unusual schedule, this is an ideal moment to reassess your roster and dig into the latest fantasy basketball news. Evolving NBA depth charts and unexpected injuries are reshaping roles across the league, creating new opportunities to add impact players before the rest of your league reacts. Let's break down six widely available options worth consideration.
Top Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Picks
Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans (48% rostered)
Queen made history Monday when he recorded 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks in a loss to the Spurs. He became one of five players ever to post a 30-point triple-double before turning 21 years old. The other four on that list are big names in LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.
Zion Williamson (adductor) is out for at least the next three weeks. Given his checkered injury history, it's difficult to have much faith in him staying on the floor, even when he does return from his most recent ailment. With their 3-22 record, the Pelicans aren't likely to push Williamson to play if he's not completely healthy. Queen has the potential to be a fantasy difference maker from here on out.
Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics (38% rostered)
Queta is logging 24 minutes per game as the starting center for the Celtics. That's not exactly a hefty workload, but it has still enabled him to average 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He has also shot 65.8% from the field. Although his 62.8% shooting from the free-throw line isn't great, he's not tanking fantasy managers in that department because he has only averaged 2.0 free-throw attempts per game.
Despite the moves that the Celtics made to weaken their roster during the offseason, they are 15-9 out of the gate. It would be a shock if they didn't at least make the Play-In Tournament at this point. If Jayson Tatum (Achilles) comes back, they could really make some noise in the Eastern Conference. They are still thin at center, though, so unless they make a trade, Queta is in line to play a prominent role in their playoff push.
Jay Huff, Indiana Pacers (30% rostered)
The writing was on the wall with Huff when he averaged 0.9 blocks in just 12 minutes per game with the Grizzlies last season. It took him some time to work his way into a prominent role with the Pacers, but he has now started six straight games. During that span, he averaged 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 three-pointers and 3.7 blocks. The key is, he logged 25 minutes per game.
The Pacers are 4-2 since moving Huff into their starting lineup. Given his contributions on the defensive end, he has a great opportunity to remain in the role moving forward. His only real competition for minutes right now is Isaiah Jackson, who has played just 18 minutes a game since Huff became a starter. Fantasy managers who need blocks should make adding Huff a priority.
Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans (29% rostered)
Queen isn't the only exciting rookie on the Pelicans. They didn't waste much time putting Fears in a prominent role, moving him into the starting lineup in their third game of the season. He hasn't relinquished the job. As a starter, he has averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 three-pointers. The downside has been him shooting 42.3% from the field.
Jordan Poole (quadriceps) is nearing a return, but even when he does come back, it's not likely that he removes Fears from the starting five. If anything, the Pelicans might be looking to trade Poole. The long-term concern with Fears is that Dejounte Murray (Achilles) is aiming to return in January. Still, when he does come back, he could be on a minutes restriction for a while. We could get at least another month of Fears being a significant fantasy contributor, and possibly longer.
Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks (23% rostered)
After being inserted into the Mavericks' starting lineup, Nembhard immediately provided some juicy fantasy stat lines. He was then tested in his last two games with difficult matchups against the Thunder and Rockets, who are the top two teams in the league in defensive rating. First, he produced 10 points, four assists and two three-pointers against the Thunder. He followed that up with 11 points, seven assists and a steal against the Rockets.
Nembhard playing well against the best defensive teams in the league is certainly encouraging for his fantasy outlook moving forward. The Mavericks lost to the Thunder (who doesn't?), but they pulled off the upset over the Rockets. With Nembhard as a starter, they have a 4-2 record. That should help him retain his starting job moving forward.
Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings (22% rostered)
Domantas Sabonis has played at least 70 games in each of the last three seasons. That won't happen this season, as he is currently out with a partially torn meniscus in his left knee. Drew Eubanks was provided an opportunity to start when Sabonis got hurt, but he wasn't able to make much of an impact. That has resulted in Raynaud surpassing him on the Kings depth chart. Across the last five games, the rookie center has averaged 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks.
The Kings can make some odd lineup decisions, but with how well Raynaud has played, it would be shocking if he lost minutes to Eubanks moving forward. Those in deeper formats who need a big man should look for Raynaud on their waiver wire.
ORLANDO – The $150 million no doubt played a big part in keeping Kyle Schwarber with the Philadelphia Phillies. But the community, those who run the organization, his teammates and the Phillies faithful played as much a part in him inking a five-year deal to stay with the two-time defending National League East champions.
Schwarber met with the media via zoom on Tuesday from his home in Ohio, sitting in front of a beautiful stone wall with high-end liquor bottles placed on various shelves. He is back there after making a one-day sprint to Philadelphia to get his physical and tie up some other loose ends before signing his new monster contract. The quick trip was because his wife is expecting the couple’s third child, a daughter.
“Right after the season was over with, I was able to sit down with Dave (Dombrowski, president of baseball operations) and we had a really good conversation,” Schwarber said. “Then right before we went home, (owner) Mr. (John) Middleton was able to come over to our house and we were able to spend a really good amount of time just sitting down and talking about the Phillies and his family and about what’s the future looking like for us here.
“Those were conversations that I just never forgot. You go through a season, you start having different conversations with different teams. I took notes. And once I had everything all said and done I could really sit down and make the decision. John is committed to winning and Dave wants our organization to keep pushing for a World Championship. We want to continue to win the East. What else for a player can you ask for? We have such a great fan base that on a Wednesday get away day there can be 40-some thousand there. Those are things that I don’t take lightly.
“There are others in the league that I wish could experience that. Those are things that are driving factors on a daily basis. Nothing is given, everything is earned in this game. You earn a fan base’s respect, you earn people’s respect in the game. When you get that, it’s awesome. It’s a decision that I’m not going to regret by any means and it’s going to be a great investment for both sides.”
His signing was the obvious first order of business for the Phillies, who seem to be light on power after Schwarber. Following his 56-home run, 132 RBI National League MVP runner-up season, the designated hitter doesn’t want that season to be an outlier.
“Come to four years in Philadelphia and you really feel like you’ve hit your stride and got the identity of who I wanted to be in the big leagues,” Schwarber said. “And there’s still things to improve on. The nature of having experience and that you can come out on the other side of things. I think it’s given me a whole new perspective on baseball. And it’s way more enjoyable. You could be in that slump, and you know what you have to do to get out of it. Being able to look myself in the mirror and undress yourself from top to bottom and realizing that these are things I didn’t do well and just because 2025 was a great statistical season for me it doesn’t mean this offseason I’m going to go out and do the same thing. I have to go from top to bottom and undress everything and be able to find things to get better at and keep evolving, because the game keeps evolving.
“There’s always going to be more information out there on how to get a player out. It’s my job to make sure that I’m the most prepared person to attack it and not be surprised by anything. That’s how I try to continue to play the game and that’s what I’m going to do on a year-to-year basis. I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder. I want to play this game for a long time and I want to continue to be great and help the Phillies win a World Series and multiple World Series throughout my time here.”
While the decision to stay will make sense 150 million times with fans, it was so much more that played into Schwarber’s decision to wear the red, white and blue. It’s the love of the fans. It’s the fact that a piece of paper was sent around the park and signed by thousands begging for his return.
“Resonating with an organization and resonating with a fan base is a huge part of why you do it,” he said. “You want people, you want young kids, you want anyone to be at a game and look up and see them wearing your jersey or look up at their mom and dad and say ‘Hey, I want to be like Kyle.’ Whatever it is, those are things you don’t take lightly, and those moments are awesome. I know the whole constitution thing that went around Citizen’s Bank Park, I’ve got that. I have that in my possession. Those are things that you truly do respect as a fan base.
“You hope at the end of the day as a player that you leave your mark on an organization and a fan base and I’m glad that I’m gonna have five more years to do that here in Philadelphia.”
Dombrowski and company still have plenty of work to do moving forward for the 2026 season and beyond. J.T. Realmuto has now become the top subject for the team. There are holes to fill and young players to groom, which is another place where Schwarber is so valuable.
“We’ve all been in constant communication throughout the offseason, not just J.T. We all have great relationships with each other,” said Schwarber when asked if he’s communicated with Realmuto. “I think that’s a great thing we’ve had here in Philadelphia, that we’ve all really come together and that we’re all going to have some really good friendships through our days here. I sent him a text. I would not be lying if I said I sent one to J.T. that said trying to see where he’s at.
“At the end of the day I know the process he’s going through, and I want to be respectful of that. You want him to feel like he’s making the best decision for himself and his family. Selfishly we would all like to have J.T. back because we know what he brings to the table and how important he is to not only the clubhouse and the team but what he means to Philadelphia and how he carries himself and how he cares. How he makes sure he’s going to be available to catch as many games as he can. The catching position is such a difficult position and how he’s done it for years, he should be highly sought after and I’m hoping that at the end of the day he’s back in Philadelphia. But I know that there could be a lot of different circumstances that could come in.
“We have some really exciting talent that is going to be coming up, and you want to make them feel welcomed right away. We need them performing to their best abilities. We don’t need them worrying about how does Kyle Schwarber, how does Trea Turner, how does Bryce Harper, whoever, think about what I’m doing right now. No, we’re all here together. We’re all pulling on the same rope. We need everyone pulling just the same. This is a whole collective effort. We’ve made a clubhouse that is welcoming.”
Just like Philadelphia has made it a welcoming place for Schwarber. And that will now continue for five more years.
LOS ANGELES — Oklahoma City continues to look dominant, and San Antonio earned the right to be the next team to test them — and maybe with Victor Wembanyama back in the lineup. Here is what happened on Wednesday night in the Western Conference quarterfinals matchups in the NBA Cup.
Spurs 132, Lakers 119
San Antonio came in with a plan.
First, get out in transition. Trust the team's depth of ball handling guards to run past the Lakers — and the Spurs executed that, with a ridiculous 188.9 net rating in transition (stat via Cleaning the Glass).
"I think our pace was great from the start of the game kind of opened up the court for us," said Stephon Castle, who led the Spurs with 30 points. "They had a couple loud plays, but I feel like we came together and clamped down when we needed it most."
The Spurs also wanted to make Luka Dončić a scorer, and avoid fouling and putting him and Austin Reaves on the line, which is what cost the Spurs when they lost to the Lakers earlier in the season. That part of the Spurs plan worked, too. Doncic had 35 points and eight assists, but never got his teammates going until one too-little, too-late push in the fourth. The Spurs also got to the free-throw line 36 times to the Lakers' 23, and San Antonio finished with a dozen more points from the line.
Finally, San Antonio wanted to trust its depth and 3-point shooting. The Spurs won the bench scoring battle 48-31 and shot 17-of-38 (44.7%) from beyond the arc.
The result was a 132-119 San Antonio win that sends them to Las Vegas and the semifinals against the Thunder on Saturday.
After the game, multiple Spurs players spoke about the spark Keldon Johnson provided off the bench. He was red-hot to open the game, shooting 3-of-3 from beyond the arc (5-of-6 overall) with 13 first-quarter points, and behind him and that pace, the Spurs led 39-30 after one.
The Lakers started the second quarter 0-for-6 from the field, while the Spurs were knocking down 3-pointers and San Antonio stretched its lead to 17.
Midway through the second quarter, after coach J.J. Redick picked up a technical, the Lakers started playing harder on defense — not coincidentally, Marcus Smart was in the middle of it — and cut into the Spurs' lead with an 11-2 run. It's then that LeBron had the highlight of the night.
Still, the Spurs showed some composure and pushed their lead back up to a dozen, 70-58, at the half.
That trend continued into the third — every time the Lakers made a play that fired up the crowd and started to close the gap, the Spurs answered.
The Lakers made a fourth-quarter push behind a small-ball lineup with LeBron James (or maybe Rui Hachimura) as the center, cutting the lead to eight in the fourth quarter. Once again, the Spurs responded.
"You don't want to speak it to existence, but when you play a team like that, it's not a matter if, it's a matter of when that run is going to happen," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "You're not going to blow out a team like that for 48 minutes. And so when they start making some plays… you just got to maintain the course, play the game and what's being called upon, and execute. I thought we did a phenomenal job of that."
Johnson also said postgame that Victor Wembanyama had "a very good day" and there is "very much" a chance we will see him in Las Vegas against Oklahoma City. Wemby warmed up pregame, without any kind of sleeve or wrap on his strained calf, and seemed to move well and without pain.
The Spurs could use him, they are going to need everything to beat the Thunder.
Oklahoma City 138, Phoenix 89
Any other questions?
Oklahoma City went up double-digits within the first four minutes of the game. That lead reached 20 less than 10 minutes into the contest. By halftime, it was 74-48 Thunder, and in the third quarter they put up 36 points and had a 17-6 run in the middle of the frame.
Oklahoma City came into the most meaningful game of the young season — with a trip to Vegas and a larger player bonus on the line — and just thrashed the upstart Phoenix Suns, ultimately winning by 49, 138-89.
With the win, Oklahoma City improves to 24-1 on the season, tying the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors — the team that set the NBA record with 73 wins in a season — for the fastest start in league history.
As has been the pattern all season, the Thunder offense gets the headlines — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28, Chet Holmgren 24 — but it was really their defense, holding the Suns to under 40% shooting (39.3%) that was the real difference on the night. OKC forced 21 Phoenix turnovers and converted those to 34 points (the shorthanded Suns were without Devin Booker and Jalen Green, their two best shot creators).
28 for Shai on 11-15 shooting. 24 for Chet on 9-13 shooting.
That win gave the Thunder a franchise-record 16th straight victory, and they head to Las Vegas to face the Spurs on Saturday in the NBA Cup semifinals.
Phoenix showed some fight — literally. Grayson Allen got ejected for leveling Chet Holmgren on a screen.
Grayson Allen has been ejected from Suns-Thunder after being assessed a flagrant 2 for his hard foul on Chet Holmgren.
At that point, the Suns were down 36, and Allen's move did not spark some kind of Phoenix run. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 16 points, but on 4-of-16 shooting. It was that kind of night for Phoenix, but Oklahoma City is doing this to a lot of teams.
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