Lakers fall to Spurs in return to court, dropping third straight

LOS ANGELES — After a week of uncertainty and a whirlwind of emotions caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, the Lakers returned to action on Monday, seeking an escape for the home crowd.

A strong Lakers first half led by Anthony Davis (30 points, 13 rebounds) pushed them to a 62-53 lead going into halftime. A lackluster second half would follow in L.A.'s efforts, getting outscored 73-40, resulting in a 126-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs for their third straight loss.

“We were eager to play basketball again in front of our fans. It sucks that we weren’t able to get the win,” Davis said.

The Lakers have lost four of their last six games and dropped to 20-17 in their first action in six days after the previous two games, against the Hornets (Jan. 9) and Spurs (Jan. 11), were postponed due to the catastrophic fires across Los Angeles.

“We appreciate everyone’s support from around the world, the country, other leagues, and other teams, Davis added. “The first responders are risking their lives to make sure that everyone tries to be as safe as possible. So it’s a tough time, but we’re going to get through it together.”

Here are some takeaways from the Lakers loss to the Spurs:

Lackluster 2nd Half

The Lakers' second-half woes were in large part due to high turnovers and points given up in the paint.

The Spurs took advantage of a lackluster L.A. team that allowed 66 points in the paint, outscoring them 15-5 to close out the third quarter and tie it up (89) from a 10-point Laker lead.

From the fourth quarter on, the Lakers would fail to create any friction or momentum runs, getting outscored 37-13 in the final quarter behind 19 turnovers and five Spurs in the starting lineup scoring in double figures.

LeBron James (18 points, eight assists, five rebounds) led the Lakers with seven turnovers—the most he’s had in a game all season.

Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and rookie Stephon Castle combined for 69 points as each player scored 23 points.

Chris Paul, 39, was a huge focal point in quarterbacking San Antonio’s offense as he finished with 13 points, 10 assists, and four steals.

Showtime Coop to the Rafters

At halftime, the Lakers honored Showtime-era shooting guard Michael Cooper by retiring his No. 21 jersey. He was introduced by Magic Johnson and became the 13th player in team history to receive this honor. Cooper's iconic No. 21 now hangs forever between Johnson's No. 32 and James Worthy's No. 42 in the rafters.

"This is so overwhelming to me, because I never expected this. I’ve always played for the love of the game. And winning championships. Tonight is, for me, more special than the Hall of Fame,” Cooper said.

All fans in attendance were given a Michael Cooper jersey on their seat to honor the L.A. native.

Cooper played all 12 seasons in his career with the Lakers, winning five championships and earning the 1987 NBA Defensive Player of the Year with the Showtime-era Lakers.

Bigger than Basketball

A moment after the game gave a glimpse of how sometimes moments are bigger than the game. 

Lakers head coach JJ Redick lost his rented home and years of unforgettable possessions and memories made with his wife, Chelsea, and their two sons, Knox and Kai, to the L.A. fires. Among those possessions lost in the Palisades house fire were a countless number of memorabilia collected from Ridick’s sons.

After the game, Spurs Wembanyama and Paul took a moment to give Redick’s sons their game-worn jerseys (signed them) and take photos. A moment they will never forget.

“I appreciate all the love and not surprised Chris [Paul] did something like that,” Redick said on his former teammate.

Redick mentioned that Paul called him in the afternoon saying he would approach his sons after the game even if they won or lost.

"You play a lot of years in this league, and some guys are just teammates. JJ [Redick] is a part of my family. Him, his wife, those kids, Knox and Kai," Paul said. "I know a lot of people lost family members and homes and stuff like that. It just hits different when people are close to you." 

Next Game

The next five games will be played in Los Angeles with the Lakers facing the Miami Heat on Wednesday (7 p.m.). This is the second contest between the two, with the Heat handing the Lakers their biggest point margin loss (41) of the season in the first matchup in Miami. 

In the middle of the home stretch, the Lakers will play at Intuit Dome for the first time against the Clippers (Jan. 19), capping off against the Celtics on Jan. 23.