LeBron tempers doubts about the Lakers: “It’s not the time to talk about the Playoffs”
LeBron tries to hide his frustration after the loss to the Spurs: a game with 19 points and 15 rebounds wasn’t enough to earn a spot in the NBA Cup Final Four
Los Angeles had envisioned another run to Las Vegas, driven by the idea of reclaiming the title they won two years ago and, why not, the $500,000 awarded to each player on the winning team. But reality showed up in the form of a Texas team that was sharp, disciplined, and deadly in transition, surprising the Lakers 132–119.
JJ Redick’s squad fell behind by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter, before a surge of pride brought them back within eight. It was only an illusion, lasting just a few possessions: San Antonio restored order, closed every gap, and shut down any comeback attempt, making Luka Doncic’s 35 points pointless.
For the Lakers, the frustration remains from a night in which intensity and clarity abandoned them exactly when they were most needed. Feelings that LeBron James – who posted a double-double with 19 points (including a monstrous dunk) and 15 rebounds – might prefer not to let slip in his postgame comments about what went wrong for the purple and gold.
I can’t start thinking about what we could do in the Playoffs in December… talking about the kind of impact we might have in the postseason, in December, wouldn’t be respectful to the basketball gods
LeBron James
The Spurs, meanwhile, fly to Las Vegas on merit: Saturday night they’ll face the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in a semifinal that promises fireworks. A mission that once seemed impossible, yet San Antonio will tackle it with the wind at their back – without Wembanyama, but with confidence growing game after game.