The San Antonio Spurs, who had lost 18 straight games entering the game, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers from start to finish on Friday night, causing them to suffer their most disheartening defeat of the year.
LeBron James played again on Friday after missing the Spurs game on Wednesday. However, he was without most of his starting lineup, as Cam Reddish, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Davis were all out.
James acknowledged the Lakers’ lack of depth after the game, but he also made sure to give the Spurs credit for their excellent play, according to Spectrum SportsNet:
“We weren’t designed with three starters out for our team. Give credit where credit is due, though; San Antonio put on a fantastic performance tonight. They had excellent ball striking. We were just limited by our physical limitations when they attacked.
The Lakers have had a difficult December due to their extensive travel schedule, which has been exacerbated by the extra game from the In-Season Tournament.
James understands that the Lakers simply need to have everyone in the lineup in order to succeed, as they are still a strong basketball team when all of their key players are available.All we need to do is get well. We’re among the better teams in the league when we’re healthy. We’ve experienced some ups and downs when we’re not. We can compete against anyone when we’re well and have a group, as I’ve repeatedly stated.
The Lakers’ situation doesn’t get any better after their road trip through Texas is over. The Lakers will play the New York Knicks when they return home on Monday night. After that, they will play the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City Thunder on the road before spending Christmas at home.
LeBron also discussed the difficult stretch that lies ahead and what the Lakers will need to do to gain some momentum in that span of time:
It’s difficult. It is undoubtedly tedious. It seems like we have spent the entire year traveling. That being said, health truly is wealth. It is difficult to return home for a few days, then immediately head back east, return to the Midwest, and return to Oklahoma City, or wherever the situation may be. That will be difficult for us, so we need to mentally and physically get ready by getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and drinking plenty of water. The games will only get better from here.
James mentioned that the Lakers have demonstrated their ability to compete with any team when healthy, so maybe players can get back into the starting lineup as soon as Monday.
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