The Los Angeles Lakers played without injured Austin Reeves and LeBron James and improved to 7-2 on the season with the win in San Antonio.
Published November 6, 2025
Luka Doncic had 35 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds and five steals, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter and overcame a heated battle in the final seconds to beat the San Antonio Spurs for their fifth straight victory, 118-116.
The Lakers finished the game on a 21-10 run Wednesday night, but the Spurs had one last chance when Marcus Smart committed an inbounds violation after Kelly Olynyk’s putback layup with 1.2 seconds left.
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Justin Champagnie then drew a foul from Jake LaRabia trying to tip in the Spurs’ inbounds pass, but Champagnie missed the first free throw and missed the second with no one chipping in until the buzzer sounded.
The Lakers got off to a great start to the season, with Deandre Ayton scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, as they battled back from a nine-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. Doncic scored eight points in the fourth, including a clutch game-winning 3-pointer with 2:31 left.
Victor Wembaneyama had 19 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 1:39 left in the game, but the Spurs suffered their second straight loss after a 5-0 start. Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan each had 16 points.
Doncic overcame a 9-of-27 shooting night with another great performance, and the Lakers won a foul-plagued game between two undermanned teams. Harrison Barnes and Sochan also fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles trailed 106-97 with just over seven minutes left, but held San Antonio without a field goal for nearly four and a half minutes to come back.
Doncic’s fourth 3-pointer gave the Lakers a 113-112 lead, and two possessions later, Wembaneyama fouled out on a charge pulled by Rui Hachimura.
Austin Reeves missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury, while Doncic returned after missing the Lakers’ surprising win against Portland on Monday. LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has not yet played for the Lakers this season as he continues to rehabilitate his sciatica.
The Knicks and Nuggets remain perfect at home. Rockets extend winning streak
On Wednesday night, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each had double-doubles as the New York Knicks pulled away from the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 137-114 victory, completing their perfect record at home this season.
Brunson (23 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds) recorded his first career triple-double. He had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in the third quarter, when the Knicks outscored the Timberwolves 40-28, turning a four-point halftime deficit into a 94-86 lead.
Towns recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks’ seventh double-double in eight games this season. The Knicks won the first three games of a seven-game homestand and are now 5-0 at Madison Square Garden.
For Tennessee, Armen Thompson scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Alperen Sengan added 20 points and 16 boards to lead Houston to its fifth straight win, defeating the host Memphis Grizzlies 124-109.
Thompson had 27 points, five rebounds and four assists in Houston’s win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, knocking down 13 of 26 shot attempts and dishing out seven assists.
The Rockets have defeated their last five opponents by an average margin of 19.2 points.
In Denver, Nikola Jokic had 33 points, 16 assists and 15 rebounds, Aaron Gordon scored 24 points and the unbeaten Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 122-112 at home.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 18 points off the bench. Jamal Murray contributed 14 points. Christian Braun had 11 points and Peyton Watson had a career-high 10 rebounds for Denver. The Nuggets have won 11 straight regular season games against Miami.
