Los Angeles Lakers: 3 takeaways from huge win against San Antonio Spurs
By Zain Danani
The Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to a season-high, three games, as they beat the San Antonio Spurs 93-81.
The Los Angeles Lakers struggled heavily during the month of December. The team finished with a record of 3-11 for the month, but that was largely due to injuries. The team saw three of their young stars – Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma – battle setbacks throughout December, and that led to inconsistencies within the Lakers’ play.
For this month, however, the team is back at full strength. They hold a .500 record for January as they sit at 3-3, but have managed to win three straight games. Sadly, that is the Lakers’ record for their longest win streak of the season.
As the last sentence suggests, the team has had difficulty winning games this year. Heading into the game they were tied for the last seed in the Western Conference with a record of 13-27. It has been and will probably continue to be a tough season for Laker fans, but the young stars on the team have shown glimpses of stardom so the future looks bright.
Contrary to the Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs – their opponent last night – continue to have a great season. They headed into the matchup sitting as the third seed in the Western Conference with a record of 28-14. The Spurs have also had to overcome injury concerns as their superstar, Kawhi Leonard, has been sidelined nearly all season.
To San Antonio’s advantage, however, they have one of the most brilliant coaching minds the league has ever seen – Gregg Popovich. He has led the team to the playoffs for twenty years straight and has broken countless records on the way.
Last night, however, Luke Walton won the coaching battle as the Lakers won the game. Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 26 points, while Lamarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 20 points.
The Lakers’ next game will be on Saturday afternoon in the American Airlines Center as they face the Dallas Mavericks. Before we get to that game, however, let’s take a look at some takeaways from last night.