Superstars LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama will battle for the first time this season when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday in an NBA Cup Western Conference Group B game.
It will be the first of four group-stage games for both Los Angeles and San Antonio. Each squad will have also faced Phoenix, Utah and Oklahoma City by Dec. 3.
Friday’s clash is also the first of a back-to-back for each team. James and the Lakers play at New Orleans on Saturday, while Wembanyama and the Spurs head north to Dallas for an in-state showdown against the Mavericks.
Los Angeles storms into the Alamo City on a three-game winning streak after Wednesday’s 128-123 home victory over Memphis. James bundled 35 points with 12 rebounds and 14 assists against the Grizzlies to become the oldest player in league history to tally three straight triple-doubles.
“(It’s) just being very patient, just taking what the defense gives me,” said James, 39. “I’ve been doing it for a while, so I understand time and score. Understand the waves and the swings of the game. So nothing new to me.
“I’m just living in the moment, and it feels good to be able to go out and play the game that I love at a high level still and every night I step on the floor. I try to help our team be successful in any way, shape, form or fashion. So, in that sense, it’s pretty cool.”
Anthony Davis added 21 points and 14 rebounds, Rui Hachimura and rookie Dalton Knecht scored 19 points apiece and Austin Reaves chipped in 18 points for the Lakers.
Knecht made all five of his 3-point attempts and notched his career-high point total, while Reaves punctuated his outing with a dagger 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, the Spurs close their five-game homestand after winning three of the first four.
San Antonio outlasted Washington 139-130 on Wednesday behind a career-high 50 points from second-year star Wembanyama, who shot 18-of-29 from the floor and made a career-high eight 3-pointers. Wembanyama became the only Spurs player ever to make at least six shots from beyond the arc in three consecutive contests.
“Big shout out to (Wembanyama) — he’s working on his game,” said forward Julian Champagnie, who finished with 12 points. “He takes everything personal. I don’t know what it was (Wednesday), but he took something personal.
“He went out there and hooped. He didn’t bow his head. I think there was times when he missed five in a row and it was next shot, next shot, next shot. That’s what we want from him. If he has 50 every game, go ahead.”
Devin Vassell added 17 points for San Antonio while Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle and Blake Wesley each scored 10.
Chris Paul distributed 11 assists for the Spurs, who held on after Washington rallied from 21 down to pull within five in the final minute. The win gave San Antonio consecutive victories for just the second time this year and pulled the Spurs to .500 after 12 games.
The Spurs and Lakers will play three more times this season — Nov. 27 in San Antonio and then on Jan. 11 and 13 in Los Angeles.
