Lakers survive near-collapse as Dončić shines with 35 and 13, while Wembanyama fouls out in tight Spurs loss

The San Antonio Spurs controlled much of the fourth quarter on Wednesday despite a tough shooting night from Victor Wembanyama, but the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a late 106–97 deficit to pull off a 118–116 victory behind another standout performance from Luka Dončić.

The Lakers narrowly escaped a collapse in the closing moments, holding on as Dončić delivered yet another clutch performance. His step-back three-pointer with just over two minutes left gave Los Angeles its first lead of the period at 113–112. Moments later, Wembanyama picked up his sixth foul on a charging call, forcing him to the bench for the final stretch as the Lakers never looked back.

Without their young star, the Spurs couldn’t regain control, and the Lakers managed to survive the final seconds of a thrilling Western Conference battle. Dončić ended the night one rebound short of a triple-double, finishing with 35 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals. Despite shooting just 9-for-27 from the floor, his all-around effort carried Los Angeles to another win.

Wembanyama, meanwhile, endured a second consecutive off night, totaling 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists on 5-of-14 shooting. He watched the final minute and a half from the bench after fouling out, unable to help the Spurs’ late push.

The ending was chaotic. After what looked like a secured win, the Lakers nearly gave it away when Marcus Smart turned over an inbounds pass with just over a second left. The Spurs then had one last chance, as Julian Champagnie drew a foul on a final shot attempt with 0.2 seconds on the clock. Trailing by two, he missed the first free throw, then intentionally missed the second — but San Antonio couldn’t convert on the rebound, sealing a narrow Lakers win.

With the victory, Los Angeles improved to 7–2, holding the second-best record in the West despite a rocky start to the season and a string of absences from their top players. Dončić has already missed four of the team’s nine games, while LeBron James continues to sit out as he recovers from a nerve issue in his back. Austin Reaves was also sidelined with a groin strain, after an impressive start to the season averaging over 31 points and 9 assists per game.

Even so, the Lakers keep finding ways to win, riding their chemistry and defense through a tough early schedule.

For San Antonio, the loss marks their second straight after a 5–0 start. Wembanyama’s struggles continued after his previous outing, where he shot 4-for-14 in a loss to Phoenix, posting 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

The Spurs face another major challenge Friday night against the Houston Rockets, while the Lakers will look to push their winning streak to six when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday — the first stop of a five-game road trip. A marquee matchup against the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, awaits just two games later.

The NBA Cup is also returning this season, featuring new custom court designs created for each franchise. The in-season tournament format remains the same: 30 teams divided into groups of five, with four games played per team — two at home and two away — running every Friday from late October through November.

Eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds — the six group winners plus two wild cards from each conference. In case of ties, tiebreakers will be based on head-to-head results, point differential, total points, regular-season record, and, if needed, a random drawing.

The knockout stage begins in December, with quarterfinals hosted by higher seeds on Dec. 9–10, followed by semifinals and the final in Las Vegas on Dec. 13 and Dec. 16.

Players from teams reaching the knockout rounds will earn additional prize money, adding more stakes to the midseason event.

The Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023, while the Bucks claimed last season’s title against the Thunder.