Bold opening: The LA Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs are squaring off as the West’s premiere upset-makers, each looking to topple the reigning NBA champions in the Cup semifinals.
Los Angeles and San Antonio, two perennial powerhouses from the Western Conference, are set to clash in a West semifinal of the NBA Cup. The Lakers will host the Spurs, bringing a recent run of momentum—nine wins in their last 11 games—while San Antonio has won eight of their previous 11, despite Victor Wembanyama sidelined with a calf issue.
Looking ahead, the victorious team would face a high-stakes test against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West final, should last season’s champions topple the Phoenix Suns in the other semifinal.
Wembanyama will miss his 12th straight game, prompting his teammates to lean on collective effort. Rookie Dylan Harper reflected on the unselfish ball movement: “I think we all trust each other with the ball. There is no ego between us… which is a big thing in this league. We all just want to see each other succeed no matter what. Just have that mindset of playing off each other and have one common goal, and that’s winning.”
San Antonio faced a challenge without their 7-foot-4 rookie, shooting 47.2 percent from three (17 of 36) as they prepared to meet a Lakers team known for struggling to defend long-range shots, with opponents shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers are gradually tightening their perimeter defense again, buoyed by the expected return of Marcus Smart (back) after a six-game absence, and by LeBron James’ season debut on November 18. In seven appearances since, James has averaged 16.1 points and 7.6 assists.
LA clinched a 112-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, highlighted by James’s go-ahead three with 1:12 remaining and a late dagger at 27.4 seconds, finishing with a season-best 29 points.
A teammate praised the performance: “That was amazing. That was vintage Bron. We’re glad he was there to save us. He had an incredible game. He just decided the outcome.”
The winner of Lakers–Spurs advances to Las Vegas for the West final on Saturday, with the Cup final against the East winner scheduled for Las Vegas next Tuesday.
In other NBA Cup action on Tuesday, the Orlando Magic, led by Desmond Bane’s 37 points, and the New York Knicks advanced to the Cup semifinals with decisive wins. Bane connected on 6 of 9 threes and chipped in six rebounds and five assists in Orlando’s 117-108 win over Miami. Meanwhile, the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson dropped 35 points to power a 117-101 road victory over Toronto.
REUTERS, AFP
