LOS ANGELES — Before Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers had two of their worst defensive performances of the season. They were able to survive a game at the Toronto Raptors, when they allowed 127.7 points per 100 possessions thanks to Rui Hachimura’s buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer assisted by LeBron James. The following night, the shorthanded Lakers allowed a season-high 132.6 points per 100 possessions in a loss to the Boston Celtics.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was encouraged by how the Lakers defended against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, the only game on the road trip that featured Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and James. But even with Marcus Smart set to return from a two-week absence, Redick acknowledged defensive areas of focus that would be tested by San Antonio’s talented guard trio of De’Aaron Fox, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper.
“Our second half against Philly was the most physical we’ve been, particularly off-ball,” Redick said. “But the physicality, and the shifts, and then the closeouts, that’s the essence of our defense. So if we’re not doing those things well, it’s hard for us to guard.”
It was hard for the Lakers to guard a Spurs team missing center Victor Wembanyama for the 12th straight game. Seven Spurs scored in double figures, led by Castle’s season-high 30 points, in a 132-119 win in downtown Los Angeles. It was the most points the Lakers allowed all season, and the loss came down to two issues that have existed all season: defense and depth.
“I mean, there’s a lot of things this is about,” said Redick after his team was outscored 29-17 from the free-throw line, the worst differential of the season for the Lakers. “I think being able to contain the basketball is probably the most difficult thing for our team right now.”
Dončić scored a game-high 35 points, but he and Reaves picked up five fouls each. Fouls were an issue for both teams in their previous matchup, when a combined 84 free throws were attempted. Three Spurs fouled out of that game, while three Lakers (Dončić, Smart, and Jake LaRavia) had five. San Antonio’s guards got things going on the foul chart this time around when Castle tagged Dončić with an and-one just ahead of the first mandatory timeout of the game.
The game got away from the Lakers when the bench filtered in. Spurs reserve forward Keldon Johnson hit three first-quarter 3s. Then, when Dončić hit the bench to start the second quarter, it was Julian Champagnie’s turn, as he hit two more as part of an 8-0 run that gave the Spurs a 17-point lead.
Champagnie’s second 3 forced a Redick timeout after Lakers center Deandre Ayton was beaten down the floor by the Spurs’ Luke Kornet.
“Just didn’t do a good job of getting back in transition,” Redick demurred after the Lakers gave up 27 fast-break points, second-most of the season.
While Smart hit a Lakers season-high eight 3s as part of a 26-point effort in more than 28 minutes off the bench, the Spurs’ reserves still outscored the Lakers 48-31. Smart was the only Lakers reserve to attempt multiple shots. LaRavia went scoreless in 8:45, and the Lakers were outscored by 25 points when he was on the floor.
Jaxson Hayes finished a Dončić lob in the first half, but that was his only make in 11:36, and the Lakers were outscored by 10 points in his minutes. And Gabe Vincent missed his only shot attempt, a 3-pointer, while the Lakers were outscored by seven in his 14:19.
Marcus Smart made 8 3s as part of a 26-point effort off of the Lakers bench.
And the Spurs bench STILL outscored Lakers bench 48-31. Non-Smart Lakers reserves combined to attempt only four shots, including garbage time
Asked JJ Redick about getting more complementary play pic.twitter.com/RA1iT9RWxS
— Law Murray 🎄 (@LawMurrayTheNU) December 11, 2025
Redick used some lineups that struggled with the Spurs’ offense, including Vincent and Smart with the starters in place of James and Hachimura. Harper gets to the paint, with Vincent being washed out of what turned into a 3-point play:
With Dončić taking his early fourth-quarter rest, the Spurs scored 10 straight points. The Lakers went without a center for the rest of the game after Kornet set a flare screen on LaRavia to free up Devin Vassell, who hit a cutting Kornet in the paint for an unbothered finish.
Los Angeles was outscored by 20 in the 37:15 that Ayton or Hayes were on the floor.
“I wasn’t that good either, so I think it’s just team effort,” Dončić said when asked about the bench’s league-low 24.5 points per game. “I’m comfortable on the bench. We have so many players that can do so many different stuff. So I’m comfortable sitting.
“In other games, they made the run. In other games, when I’m on the court, we made the run. So I think, just, we have a group that can do it. We just gotta figure it out.”
The Lakers found some success using Smart in place of Ayton, cutting 16 points off of a 24-point, fourth-quarter deficit. But Castle was still able to reap the benefits of nonexistent rim protection, a big issue for the Lakers this season when Ayton is out.
With the Lakers not headed to Las Vegas, they’ll prepare for a trip to face the Suns on Sunday, a rematch of last week’s loss in which Phoenix tagged them for a season-worst 28 fast-break points. Figuring out how to get anything from anyone not in their Big Three, particularly on defense, will be a priority. Dončić has already played 40 minutes or more in six games after just nine in the last regular season. Reaves has cooled off over the past two games. And the 40-year-old James came back only three weeks ago.
“It’s about five guys being on a string,” James said. “ Obviously, you can’t stop a team individually; it has to be five guys on a string. Communication has to be at an all-time high, letting guys know what’s going on behind you and things of that nature. It’s a unique team. They have six or seven guys that can break you down off the dribble that are super fast, super quick.
“Some of them are stronger, some of them are faster, some of them are quicker ball handlers. Definitely a unique team, and they got the best of us.”