LA Lakers, San Antonio Spurs square off in NBA Cup West semi-final
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Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Jabari Walker of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Getty Images via AFP
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LOS ANGELES – A pair of Western Conference powers, vying to become the primary threat to the defending NBA champions, will meet in an NBA Cup West semi-final on Wednesday (Thursday morning, Singapore time) when the Los Angeles Lakers play host to the San Antonio Spurs.
Each team is hot as the Lakers have won nine times over their past 11 games with the Spurs prevailing in eight of their past 11. The Lakers saw LeBron James return during the stretch while the Spurs are finding success without Victor Wembanyama (calf).
Up next for the winner could be the ultimate midseason litmus test against the Oklahoma City Thunder if last season’s champs beat the Phoenix Suns in the other West semifinal.
Wembanyama will miss his 12th straight game.
“I think we all trust each other with the ball,” rookie Dylan Harper said of playing without their star.
“There is no ego between us... which is a big thing in this league. I think we all just want to see each other succeed no matter what. Just have that mindset of playing off each other and have one common goal, and that’s winning.”
Without their 7-foot-4 inside threat in Wembanyama, San Antonio shot 17 of 36 (47.2 per cent) from 3-point range. The Spurs now face the Lakers, who are one of the worst teams defending shots from long range, with opponents shooting 37.9 per cent from the 3-point line.
As the Lakers get their perimeter defense together, with Marcus Smart (back) expected to return after missing the past six games, they did see James make his season debut on Nov 18. In seven games, James has averaged 16.1 points with 7.6 assists.
Los Angeles clinched a 112-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday when James hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:12 remaining and added another with 27.4 seconds left, finishing with a season-high 29 points.
“That was amazing. That was vintage Bron,” guard Luka Doncic said. “We’re happy he was there to save us. He had an amazing game. He just decided the game.”
The winner of the Lakers v Spurs clash earns a trip to Las Vegas for the West final on Saturday with the NBA Cup final against the East winner also set for Las Vegas next Tuesday.
Meanwhile in NBA action on Tuesday, the Orlando Magic, sparked by 37 points from Desmond Bane, and the New York Knicks advanced to an NBA Cup semi-final showdown with breakthrough triumphs.
Bane went 6-of-9 from three-point range and added six rebounds and five assists in Orlando’s 117-108 victory over visiting Miami. New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 35 points to power the Knicks over host Toronto 117-101 in the other quarter-final. REUTERS, AFP
