The San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-91, climbing to second in the Western Conference, despite a triple-double from Luka Doncic. LeBron James missed the game with arthritis and sciatica,
leaving the Lakers short-handed against a San Antonio side needing a response.
Doncic posted 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, yet was one of only three Lakers in double figures, alongside Jake LaRavia with 16 points and Jaxson Hayes with 10. The Slovenian star felt those numbers still fell short of what the situation demanded from a leader.
Doncic admitted personal frustration over several key moments in the loss, pointing to errors that hurt the Lakers’ chances. "I think I still should have done way better than this," Doncic said. "Missed free throws, turnovers. We had some great looks, too. We could have knocked them down, but we didn't. "
Despite that criticism, Doncic praised the effort from a short rotation without James. "Obviously, we hate losing, but I'm really proud of every guy to step on the floor. I think we fought very hard. " The performance kept the Lakers competitive for long stretches before San Antonio pulled away.
Final pic.twitter.com/Z1IdZwI48gLos Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 8, 2026
The challenge of facing San Antonio without James weighed heavily on the group. Doncic underlined that context, saying: "We're down LeBron, which is hard to compete with that. I think everybody that left the court should be feeling proud. We play hard. "
Doncic also highlighted how close the contest remained for most of the night. "We're in the game most of the game away against San Antonio, which is a great team. The process has been great. " That message stressed growth, even in defeat, for a Lakers side managing injuries.
Lakers vs Spurs: Key numbers from the Spurs’ win
San Antonio’s attack featured strong balance, with Keldon Johnson scoring 27 points to lead the hosts. Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 14 rebounds, registering a 15th double-double of the season. That output, combined with defensive pressure, helped halt a run of two straight Spurs defeats.
For Wembanyama, the result needed to be more than a single positive night after a losing spell. "It's bound to happen [they find some consistency]. We have to reduce the amount of times it happens the most possible, and that's what it's going to show what we're made of," Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama warned that one strong outing can either reset a poor stretch or fade quickly if focus drops. "It [a big win] sometimes can be a reset when you're in a bad losing streak, or the opposite cannot happen if you're in a winning streak. Too many games, too easy to make mistakes again. " San Antonio now seeks steady form near the top of the conference, while the Lakers await James’ return.
