The Los Angeles Lakers managed to rally in the second half to produce a 118-116 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
The Lakers overcame a 12-point deficit against Victor Wembanyama and Co. Luka Doncic flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 35 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. Marcus Smart contributed with 17 points, five assists and five rebounds.
While the Lakers turned things around in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles nearly gave the game away with some mistakes…
Marcus Smart nearly costs Lakers game
The Lakers nearly gave the game away, allowing the Spurs to stay competitive throughout the final seconds.
Marcus Smart began the tense finish when he turned the ball over on an inbound pass with seconds left in regulation.
Smart decided to move quickly, trying to pass the ball across the court to take advantage of a mismatch, but did not fully have his foot out of bounds.
‘As a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake,’ Smart said after the game.
Jake LaRavia commits costly foul late
Jake LaRavia entered the game with 0.4 seconds left on the clock and made a second mistake for the Lakers that could’ve sent the game to overtime.
LaRavia was called for a shooting foul on Julian Champagnie while the Lakers led 118-116. Luckily for the Lakers, Champagnie missed both free throws. Champagnie has shot 85.2% from the free-throw line in his career.
