The Los Angeles Lakers survived, barely. What should have been a smooth, drama-free finish against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night turned into another classic “only the Lakers” moment.
Up by two possessions with under two seconds left, Los Angeles had the game locked. Victor Wembanyama had already fouled out and the Spurs had missed a pair of desperation 3s. All that stood between the Lakers and their fifth straight win was one clean inbound.
And then Marcus Smart happened. Trying to heave the ball the length of the court, Smart rushed it, and his foot slid over the line. Violation. Turnover. Spurs ball. Just like that, every Laker fan went from relaxed to on the verge of a panic attack. The Lakers veteran knew that was unacceptable.
“As a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake. … I take full ownership of it. … It will never happen again.” Marcus Smart on his line violation when inbounding the ball with 1.2 seconds left, nearly costing the Lakers the win. pic.twitter.com/aK68F9xmLV
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 6, 2025
Smart told Dave McMenamin after the game, "As a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake. ... They [my teammates] going to let me hear about it, but it will never happen again."
Smart play turns into a scary one for Lakers
San Antonio got another shot with 0.4 seconds left, and somehow, things got even crazier. The inbound got deflected, went off Smart’s hand, and the Spurs kept possession. On the next inbound play, Jake LaRavia fouled Julian Champagnie right before the buzzer.
The referees took to the replay monitors, and lo and behold, it was confirmed that the foul occurred before time expired. Suddenly, the Spurs had two free throws and a chance to send the Lakers straight into disaster. Thankfully, basketball luck, the same kind that has burned the Lakers before, finally swung back their way.
Champagnie bricked the first free throw. Then he intentionally missed the second, but his teammates could not tip it in before the horn. Ballgame, Lakers win, 118–116. Everyone could finally breathe again.
The truth is that the game should have been over way earlier. Luka Doncic was brilliant once again. He finished with 35 points, nine rebounds, and 13 assists, while completely controlling the pace even with LeBron James still sidelined and Austin Reaves out for the game.
Doncic has been the heartbeat of this team since day one. Nights like this show why the Lakers are focusing on building their team around him.
Smart, though, had a rough one. Just 3-for-10 from the field, 1-for-7 from deep, and three turnovers, capped off by the near-meltdown that could have changed the entire game.
You love his toughness, his voice, his defence and his edge. But that late mistake? You just can’t make that in a close game. Not when every win matters in a loaded Western Conference.
Luckily for the Lakers, this could be a blimp. Smart has been exceptional since he started repping the purple and gold. At a 7–2 record, the Lakers are still rolling, sitting second in the West, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They have proven they can win ugly, and this one was as ugly as it gets. Sometimes, surviving is just what great teams do.