LOS ANGELES — Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t want to overstate the importance of the next few weeks for his team.
But he couldn’t help but acknowledge the “enormity,” as he put it, of the Lakers’ final 16 regular-season games ahead of Monday night’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs.
As the Lakers found out the hard way, one injury-riddled bad week can be the difference between being in second place in the Western Conference standings and falling to fifth.
So even with the team remaining without two-fifths of its starting lineup (LeBron James, Rui Hachimura), and the Spurs being without their two best players (Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox), Redick acknowledged the growth the Lakers have made over the last 2½ months in these situations.
“Our group,” Redick said, “for the most part has been very professional.”
Consider Monday’s 125-109 victory over the Spurs at Crypto.com Arena in light of what Redick was looking for.
Despite star Luka Doncic struggling with his shots (5 for 20 overall, 1 for 7 from 3-point range), the Lakers (42-25) pulled off the near wire-to-wire victory with contributions from nearly every available player in a game that was rescheduled from Jan. 11 because of the wildfires.
Austin Reaves (30 points, seven rebounds and six assists) led the team in scoring with his fourth consecutive game scoring at least 28 points. He only reached 28 points four times in the Lakers’ first 63 games this season.
Doncic offset his rough night from the field by getting himself to the free-throw line (10 for 13) and setting up his teammates often to finish just shy of a triple-double: 21 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.
In addition to making the hustle plays that have become normal for them in Lakers uniforms, Jordan Goodwin (15 points on 6-of-9 shooting) and Dorian Finney-Smith (15 points on 5-of-12 shooting) were in a strong shooting rhythm.
They combined for 7-of-12 shooting from behind the arc, making more than a third of the Lakers’ 19 3-pointers.
Reaves scored nine points in a 3½-minute stretch while the Lakers opened a 28-point lead in the third quarter. San Antonio responded with a 15-0 run, but never got the deficit to single digits.
Jaxson Hayes, playing in his second game since returning from a bruised right knee that sidelined him for four games, once again made a difference at the rim, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds, three assists, a pair of steals and a blocked shot.
Dalton Knecht (13 points) and Gabe Vincent (11 points) combined for 24 of the Lakers’ 35 bench points – a figure that was boosted by both teams playing their end-of-bench players for the final 2:30.
The Spurs were led by Stephon Castle’s 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Devin Vassell added 17 points and eight rebounds.
Stephon Castle had 23 points and eight rebounds and Devin Vassell added 17 points (15 before halftime) and eight rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost five of seven.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (15 points) were ejected with 6:27 remaining after both were given double technical fouls for their altercation, during which Sochan threw the ball at Vanderbilt after a foul and Vanderbilt shoved Sochan.
Second-round draft pick Bronny James made a 3-pointer one minute after subbing in as part of the Lakers’ end-of-bench unit.
More to come on this story.