Los Angeles Lakers Extend Win Streak to Five with Narrow Victory Over San Antonio Spurs
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers extended their win streak to five on Wednesday night, outlasting the San Antonio Spurs 118-116 at Crypto.com Arena. With the victory, the Lakers improved to 7-2 and climbed to No. 2 in the Western Conference standings.
They achieved this feat once again while short-handed, missing Austin Reaves for the second straight game due to a groin injury, and still without LeBron James. The sold-out crowd was treated to the first glimpse of what promises to be one of the NBA’s marquee matchups for years to come: Luka Dončić versus Victor Wembanyama.
However, the duel proved shorter than expected. Wembanyama battled foul trouble throughout the night and eventually fouled out, a turning point that shifted momentum in favor of L.A. In his absence, the Lakers attacked the paint aggressively, exploiting lapses with Dončić’s lob connections to Deandre Ayton—who recorded another double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds—and Jaxson Hayes. This was an area nearly off-limits when Wembanyama was on the floor.
Dončić wasn’t at his most efficient, shooting nine-for-27 from the field, but he still managed to score over 30 points and significantly impact the game defensively with a season-high five steals. He finished the night with 35 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds.
Through five games this season, Dončić continues to etch his name alongside Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA record books, becoming the second player in league history to score at least 200 points in his first five games of a season. Over that span, he is averaging 40.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.2 assists.
Wembanyama finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and a block before fouling out in the fourth quarter. After the game, Dončić praised the young star’s rapid rise.
“I have so much respect for him,” Dončić said. “Playing against him is tough; guarding him on offense is very tough. I think he’s going to improve more. It’s always fun to play against guys you have so much respect for.”
The game nearly slipped away in the final seconds. With 1.2 seconds remaining and the Lakers up by two, a pair of late miscues gave San Antonio a chance to steal the win.
First, Marcus Smart committed a mental mistake by passing the ball while still inbounds on an attempted inbound play. Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan missed the first free throw, sealing the win for L.A. and sparing them from an overtime period that would have added extra wear and tear in their third game in four nights.
“As a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake,” Smart said afterward. “I take full ownership of it. It won’t happen again.”
https://www.thesportingtribune.com/2025/11/06/lakers-outlast-spurs-in-fifth-straight-win