Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper led the charge (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup by dismantling the Los Angeles Lakers by a final score of 132-119. The Spurs built a lead in the first quarter and got out in front by as many as 24 points. The Lakers had a rally in the fourth but the Spurs calmly squashed it in a very mature fashion.
While the Spurs have had a lot of really good wins this season, this one was near the top. On the road against a team of stars, San Antonio executed and played the style of game they wanted to play. Bravo.
Stats: Spurs at Lakers
Spurs at Lakers – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
The good: Fox was the steadying force for the Spurs throughout the contest. When things got wonky, Fox was there to make things make sense again. He’s shooting threes as well as I’ve ever seen him shoot. He’s getting to the rim on command. He’s cooking slow defenders with ease. He’s getting into the paint and making things happen. And despite all the action, Fox only had one turnover on the night. Defensively, he’s competing and remaining extremely active. The bad: To nitpick, Fox was only 4-for-9 from two-point range and didn’t go to the free throw line. As a result, his efficiency wasn’t anything to write home about.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
Well, damn. After a return that saw him struggle for much of the evening, Castle was back to form in Los Angeles. It’s not hyperbolic to state that he was the best player on the court. His relentless drives to the hoop were the key to everything the Spurs were doing. When Castle wasn’t finishing with craft in the paint, he was nailing threes at a 3-for-6 clip. The second year stud was legitimately outstanding on the glass, defended with gusto and he passed the ball very well. Castle is looking more and more like a natural playmaker. He was loose with the ball at times against the Lakers and battled some foul trouble … but, all in all, it was an applause-worthy performance that saw him drop 30 points, ten rebounds and six assists in only 27 minutes.
Grade: A
Devin Vassell
It was the second straight quiet evening for Vassell. He was only 2-for-10 from the field. He didn’t get a ton of touches and made matters worse by having iffy shot-selection. That said, his passing was better than usual when he looked for teammates. I liked his defense for the most part and he didn’t let his lack of offensive fireworks negatively affect other aspects of his game.
Grade: C
Harrison Barnes
Barnes’ offensive production in the first half was vital. He had 13 points before halftime, doing much of his damage from downtown. Barnes was letting it fly whenever he saw the orange glow of the rim — and that helped space the court. He cooled off after halftime but he remained a trustworthy perimeter player on both ends of the court.
Grade: B+
Luke Kornet
After an iffy game in his return from an ankle injury, Kornet looked much better versus the Lakers. He rebounded well and survived a difficult task of defending the Lakers superstars in open space. He did so by protecting the rim well and moving his feet enough to detour drives. Offensively, Kornet was pretty darn good. He got to the line a team-high nine times — and hit eight of them. He screened well, moved the ball well and did an excellent job of staying out of the way.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie looked pretty darn good out there. He’s shooting threes with as much confidence as I’ve ever witnessed. While typically not the most graceful driver to the cup, he had some acrobatic finishes on the move. Defensively, Champagnie took on the challenges and held up well. He also rebounded while limiting miscues in all areas. Very good work.
Grade: A-
Keldon Johnson
Johnson continues to be the heart and soul of this team. With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Spurs were down four points. That’s when Johnson caught fire. He scored 13 points to end the third quarter, including hitting three three-pointers. When the smoke cleared, the Spurs were up nine points heading into the second period. The good guys were able to use that momentum to control the rest of the game. Johnson only had four more points after his first quarter outburst but he remained in attack mode, rebounded well and was extra physical on the defensive end.
Grade: A-
Dylan Harper
It was obviously part of San Antonio’s strategy to attack the Lakers litany of poor perimeter defenders. Harper played a starring role in that mission. He was once again great going to the rim and had 13 points in 20 minutes. Along the way, he made smart decisions and passed the ball well. Add in quality defense and Harper is looking better than anyone could have reasonably imagined.
Grade: A-
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk’s numbers don’t jump off the page but I thought he was an important part of this victory. Offensively, he never hesitated to impact the proceedings. He passed the ball very well and forced the Lakers to account for him. Defensively, he held up by being physical and playing the angles well.
Grade: B+
Mitch Johnson
Johnson is a young coach who is currently coaching at a high level. This was the perfect showcase to show the world the type of team he has built. The Spurs came out of the gates looking to push the pace and play physical while making smart decisions. Defensively, I thought the gameplan was awesome. The Spurs mixed in a lot of drop coverage to force the Lakers into a lot of one-on-one actions. San Antonio eventually sent help — but disguised the help well. The Lakers never found a rhythm and a lot of that was due to good coaching.
Grade: A-