LOS ANGELES — JJ Redick wanted his injury-depleted Lakers to compete. Victor Wembanyama had other plans.
The Spurs’ 7-foot-4 phenom tied his season high with 40 points in just 26 minutes Tuesday night, powering San Antonio to a 136-108 rout at Crypto.com Arena. He added 12 rebounds and scored 25 in the first quarter alone—37 by halftime.
The Lakers were without LeBron James (foot), Luka Doncic (hamstring), Austin Reaves (calf), Marcus Smart (ankle), and Deandre Ayton (knee). Essentially an entire starting lineup.
Even so, Redick insisted on competitiveness. But Wembanyama, he conceded, is a different problem.
“He’s one of the five best players in the world,” the Lakers coach said. “He’s put that stamp on himself. It’s more than counting the stats. There is such an avoidance of him defensively.”
The Lakers (34-31) managed little resistance. San Antonio’s second-best record in the West looked every bit deserving. For Los Angeles, Tuesday was less a game than a reminder: short-handed or not, the Spurs have something the Lakers are still chasing.
Next up: another test, another matchup. But Wembanyama’s 40-point statement will linger.
