The San Antonio Spurs secured the last ticket to the NBA Cup semifinals with a strong away performance. Stephon Castle was particularly impressive in the commanding victory in Los Angeles, taking control in the second half.
With their 132-119 away win, the San Antonio Spurs knocked the 2023 Cup winners out of the NBA Cup. The Spurs laid the foundation early on and pulled away to a double-digit lead in the second quarter. A 17-2 run gave San Antonio an 18-point lead at one point, with Stephon Castle and Harrison Barnes consistently exploiting L.A.’s defensive problems on the three-point line. The Lakers remained within striking distance thanks to Luka Doncic (35 points) and LeBron James (19 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists), but were only able to close the gap late in the game. The guard also contributed ten rebounds and six assists and put in an outstanding performance in his second game after a ten-day injury break. De’Aaron Fox (20 points) and Keldon Johnson (17 points, 8 rebounds) also helped San Antonio maintain a stable lead over three quarters. A total of eight Spurs players scored at least eight points, with the bench clearly winning the duel against the Lakers reserves 48-31.
Lakers comeback not rewarded
Los Angeles started a late comeback and closed the gap to eight points in the fourth quarter, but San Antonio held on after a ice-cold three-pointer from Fox. Marcus Smart had his best offensive game of the season with 26 points and eight three-pointers, while Austin Reaves added 15 points. The Spurs can celebrate their ninth win in their last twelve games and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Las Vegas semifinals on Saturday.