LeBron James refused to look too far into the future to say what kind of team the Lakers might be when the playoffs arrive in April while they are still playing games in December.
Even though it was the NBA Cup quarterfinal game the Lakers lost to the San Antonio Spurs, 132-119, James didn’t want to venture into how things would unfold.
Two years ago, when the Lakers went to Las Vegas and won the inaugural NBA Cup championship, James cautioned then that they had a long way to go and that that wasn’t an indicator or what that team could accomplish.
Not making it to Las Vegas this time and instead now having to play the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday, James was asked where the Lakers stand long term when it comes to competing for the playoffs.
“It’s December what?” James responded.
He was told it was December 10.
“And you’re talking about the playoffs? Nah, can’t do that. It’s not OK. Not my mindset,” James said. “I don’t. I can’t think about what we can do in the playoffs in December. What I can say is that the habits that we built throughout the regular season each month, if we are in a position to make it to the postseason and be able to get to that point, well, we have to build it now. But as far as talking about what type of damage we’re gonna do in the postseason in December, that’s not right for the basketball gods, not for me.”
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James’ team showed they still have so many holes to fill on defense, a sign of how far they have to go to be a championship-quality team.
The Lakers allowed the Spurs to shoot 50% from the field, 44.7% from three-point range, seemingly being unable to slow down the faster and more athletic young Spurs who were playing without their best player, center Victor Wembanyama (left calf strain).
Still, the Spurs had seven players score in double figures, led by Stephon Castle’s 30 points and De’Aaron Fox’s 20.
They will face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals in Las Vegas on Saturday.
“Obviously, it’s a unique team. They got six guys that can literally, six or seven guys that can break you down off the dribble,” James said about the Spurs. “Super fast, super quick. Some of them are stronger, some of them are faster, some are quicker ball-handlers. Unique team and they definitely got the best of us.”
For the 17-7 Lakers, they will improve on defense.
“I think it was more defensively tonight,” said Luka Doncic, who had 35 points and eight assists. “ They were just dragging us. We scored (119) points. So, I think it’s enough to win. We just got to be better (on defense).”
The Lakers got down by as much as 24 points in the fourth and made a run to get to within eight points late in the fourth quarter.
Marcus Smart came off the bench to score 26 and James had 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
When the Lakers needed someone to lift them when they got down by 18 points in the second, they got it from the oldest player on the court, 40-year-old James.
James drove down the lane and threw down a thunderous dunk over Spurs 7-1 center Luke Kornet, bringing the Lakers to within eight points and charging up the crowd in the process.
James growled and yelled in the face of the reeling Kornet. The crowd stood and cheered, now happy that there was a Lakers’ awakening.
Lebron James and Jaxson Hayes react after James dunked against Spurs center Luke Kornet in the first half. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
But the Lakers couldn’t hold on to that momentum, falling behind 70-58 at the half.
And then when the third quarter started, the Lakers came out flat, giving up back-to-back threes and two more easy baskets for the Spurs to fall into an 80-60 hole early in the third.
“It was just a play. You always wish, you hope that momentum plays would carry over,” James said. “And that was a moment where we had an opportunity. We had two straight turnovers after that. It went from an eight-point game to a 12-point game to end the half. So we did have some momentum going into the halftime and then started the third, we went back down 20.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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