Harrison Barnes and the Spurs came up short against the Lakers (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs got down early and ended up losing to the Los Angeles Lakers by a final score of 125-109. The loss dropped the good guys to a record of 28-39.
By the end of the first quarter, the Spurs were down 32-22. Things got worse in the second and third quarters, with the Lakers going up by as many as 28 points. To San Antonio’s credit, they were able to rally and make it reasonably close in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs got within 11 points in the final period so they deserve some credit for not giving up. But, all in all, the Spurs struggled for much of this game.
Stats: Spurs at Lakers
spurs lakers grades
Spurs at Lakers – Final Grades
Devin Vassell
It was a tale of two halves for Vassell. In the first half, he was a flamethrower. At halftime, he had a team-high 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from deep. Unfortunately, his play in the second half was unsightly. He was 1-for-5 from the field and missed all four of his three-point attempts. Throughout the game, his playmaking was iffy and his defensive intensity oscillated.
Grade: C
Stephon Castle
This was actually a pretty darn impressive outing for Castle. He battled foul trouble all game long after picking up three fouls in the first quarter. Instead of succumbing to frustration, Castle got better as the game progressed. By the fourth quarter, the rookie was the best player on the floor for the Spurs. After a cold shooting start, Castle got it going from three-point range and became a battering ram when going to the rim. Add in quality rebounding, a decent amount of playmaking and relatively little sloppy play and this was quite a good showing.
Grade: A-
Chris Paul
In 22 minutes, Paul was able to produce like he played the whole game. He tallied nine points, eight assists and six rebounds. His ball control was a little bit looser than usual and he was only 1-for-4 from two-point range but otherwise the veteran point guard was stout offensively. Paul’s defense was underwhelming but that has been a constant issue in the second half of the season.
Grade: B
Harrison Barnes
Barnes only played 19 minutes but had a few memorable plays. His passing was a lot better than normal and he shot well from the field. Defensively, though, Barnes left a lot to be desired. He was also not much help on the boards.
Grade: B-
Bismack Biyombo
Biyombo didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. He rebounded well, he converted a couple shots at the rim and fouled three times in 20 minutes. He was decent on the interior on defense but didn’t do anything to really move the needle.
Grade: C+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie led the bench with 29 minutes. He only shot 2-for-7 from three-point land but he found other ways to contribute. His passing was really good, as evidenced by his five assists. He also rebounded, played defense and operated with intensity. Champagnie hasn’t always hit his shots recently but he’s playing with an ample amount of oomph.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
The good: Johnson was legitimately good on the defensive end. He totaled two steals, two blocks and a handful of solid possessions on that end. Offensively, he hit half of his two-point attempts and all three of his free throws. The bad: Johnson was 0-for-2 from three-point territory and sometimes held the ball too long. He also turned it over three times.
Grade: B-
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan ended up getting ejected halfway through the fourth quarter due to scuffling with Jarred Vanderbilt. The ejection put an end to an adventurous outing. Sochan hit 1-of-3 three-point shots and all six of his two-point attempts. He also deserves credit for playing with physicality and bringing focus to the defensive end. That said, Sochan could have done a lot better on the boards and he turned it over three times. A cleaner brand of basketball would have been more helpful.
Grade: B-
Blake Wesley
It looks like Wesley is starting to find a rhythm. His defense is looking better and better. His playmaking is also making a comeback, as he tallied five assists against the Lakers in 22 minutes. Scoring can be a struggle for Wesley at times but he showed signs of life on that end against the Lakers. He hit a three and exhibited a reasonable amount of touch.
Grade: B+
Sandro Mamukelashvili
The good: Mamukelashvili brought a ton of energy on his way to scoring ten points in 13 minutes. His shooting stroke is smooth and his hustle is relentless. The bad: Mamu’s defense has been exposed lately. When the Lakers isolated him, he had no chance of surviving. Zero defensive rebounds is also not what you want from a player who is getting minutes at center.
Grade: B
Mitch Johnson
I loved the confidence Johnson showed in Castle. He kept the rookie on the floor even when he was saddled with fouls. Limiting the minutes of the veterans and carving out a niche for Wesley is good coaching at this point of the season.
Grade: B+