The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook soars to the basket during the second half of Tuesday night’s game against the Spurs in San Antonio. Westbrook had 33 points in a 125-121 overtime win. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Lakers’ Malik Monk shoots against San Antonio Spurs’ Derrick White during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Spurs’ Dejounte Murray tangles with the Lakers’ Russell Westbrook, left, and Austin Reaves during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis dunks as the San Antonio Spurs’ Doug McDermott, left, and Dejounte Murray look on during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Lonnie Walker of the San Antonio Spurs steals the ball from Austin Reaves of the Lakers during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Rajon Rondo of the Lakers drives against Derrick White of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ DeAndre Jordan (10) attempts to shoot against San Antonio Spurs’ Doug McDermott during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel watches play during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook drives to the basket past Dejounte Murray of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Dwight Howard of the Lakers blocks the shot of Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis drives against the San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook, left, and the San Antonio Spurs’ Dejounte Murray chase the ball during the first half of Tuesday night’s game in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
DeAndre Jordan of the Lakers blocks the shot of Jakob Poeltl of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis holds his shoulder after battling for a rebound during the first half of Tuesday’s game against the Spurs in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Thaddeus Young of the San Antonio Spurs strips the ball from Russell Westbrook of the Lakers during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
DeAndre Jordan of the Lakers dunks against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis goes up for shot against Jakob Poeltl of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Malik Monk of the Lakers drives on Jakob Poeltl of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis shoots over Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis listens to teammate LeBron James, who was sitting out of the game with a sore ankle, during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis drives to the basket past the Spurs’ Keita Bates-Diop during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. Davis had 35 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots in a 125-121 overtime win. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ Kent Bazemore drives against the San Antonio Spurs’ Derrick White during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis battles with Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Anthony Davis scores over Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The Spurs’ Doug McDermott dunks against the Lakers’ DeAndre Jordan during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook battles with Keita Bates-Diop of the San Antonio Spurs for a loose ball during the second half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich argues a call during the second half of Tuesday’s game against the Lakers in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ Rajon Rondo drives against the San Antonio Spurs’ Dejounte Murray during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Spurs’ Dejounte Murray looks to pass as he is defended by the Lakers’ Anthony Davis during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Lakers’ Anthony Davis blocks the shot of Devin Vassell of the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ DeAndre Jordan blocks a shot attempt by the San Antonio Spurs’ Jakob Poeltl during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook drives against Jakob Poeltl of the Spurs during the second half of Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Injured Lakers star LeBron James watches play during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Lonnie Walker of the San Antonio Spurs reacts to the crowd after hitting a 3-point shot during the third quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Lakers in San Antonio. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook dunks against the Spurs’ Keita Bates-Diop during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, left, and injured Lakers forward LeBron James laugh after Tuesday’s game in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, left, throws his shoe to a fan after an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. Los Angeles won 125-121 in overtime. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
SAN ANTONIO — For as tooth-and-nail as the evening had been, in the end, the ball simply bounced into Anthony Davis’ hands.
Under pressure from the Lakers’ Kent Bazemore, San Antonio’s Keita Bates-Diop lost control of his handle, and Davis wound up with possession as the final seconds of overtime ticked off the clock Tuesday night at AT&T Center. The last moments of Davis’ 35-point night were an easy glide away from the Spurs, whose final best effort collapsed.
The Lakers were short one of their stars with LeBron James sidelined by an ankle injury, but two proved to be just enough: Davis and Russell Westbrook combined for 68 points as the Lakers improved to 2-2 with a surprisingly epic 125-121 victory in their first road game of the season.
After three games of tentative offensive play, Westbrook was unleashed, scoring 12 of his field goals in the paint, and notching 15 points in the fourth quarter and overtime alone. It felt like a breakthrough for the Lakers – one they need to continue.
“I told Russ, I said, ‘Whether I play, ’Bron play, we don’t play, it doesn’t matter. You still gotta be yourself,’” Davis said. “He did that tonight. The way he played tonight was incredible. And we need that from him every night.”
It might be even more needed if Davis misses Wednesday night’s game in Oklahoma City: The All-Star big man knocked knees with the Spurs’ Dejounte Murray during the closing seconds of the fourth quarter and grimaced as he grabbed his right leg, later calling it “a little stinger.” He got up and played through it, going on to score a pair of baskets and grabbing four of his 17 rebounds during the extra period.
Coach Frank Vogel said the Lakers planned to monitor the injury overnight, with more treatment when the team landed in Oklahoma City. James was already listed as questionable for the contest.
“You’re still going off of adrenaline and stuff right now,” Davis said afterward. “So you rest, then wake up, and all the adrenaline and stuff is gone, and your body starts reacting to the pain.”
The Spurs had given the Lakers plenty of pain by pick-and-rolling them into oblivion through the first three quarters, rallying for a 15-3 run in the final 3½ minutes of the third.
The Lakers entered the fourth quarter trailing by 12 points, but they made up the difference with Westbrook and Davis carrying the scoring load. The Lakers took their first fourth-quarter lead on a Davis jumper at the top of the key at the 7:11 mark, then Westbrook answered the Spurs’ follow-up 3-pointer with a tough layup of his own.
For several tense minutes, it seemed the Lakers might have to finish the game without Westbrook (10 rebounds, eight assists) on the floor. He stood tapping his toe at the scorer’s table with less than a minute left, but the Lakers could not substitute him into the game without a break in the action.
“It was hard to watch,” Westbrook admitted with a nervous laugh.
Still, they were poised to escape the arena with a win after Malik Monk (17 points) squared up from 30 feet with 58.6 seconds left (and 16 seconds left on the shot clock), burying a long 3-pointer to put them ahead, 114-112. Said Monk: “I have unlimited range.”
But the Lakers’ inability to keep San Antonio off the offensive glass cost them again: After Jakob Poeltl gave them a huge break by missing a pair of free throws, the Lakers couldn’t corral the rebound, allowing Bates-Diop to score the game-tying points with 32.2 seconds left.
James’ absence created all kinds of holes, but perhaps the most glaring ones were on defense: The Lakers’ structure crumbled without their injured wings. They lost track of sharpshooters like Lonnie Walker IV (5 for 7 from 3-point range) or gave up pick-and-roll drives to the 7-foot Poeltl (13 for 17, 27 points). The Spurs also ran a better track meet than the Lakers, beating them down the floor for 29 fast-break points.
Vogel chalked up the mistakes to the continuing trial and error of a roster with 12 newcomers.
“A lot of our coverages in the paint are to attack the ball and sink the guard inside and we were just a step late on a few of those situations,” he said. “It’s challenging in the moment but it’s definitely going to sharpen us, and it’s something we welcome and embrace. Poeltl putting pressure on us the way he did is going to strengthen our team.”
A night before returning to his longtime NBA home of Oklahoma City, Westbrook looked plenty spry while motoring into the paint against the San Antonio defense. He finished 15 for 27 from the floor, helping power the Lakers to 72 points in the paint. On other possessions, he targeted teammates by the rim – notably finding DeAndre Jordan on a pair of first-quarter alley-oops.
Westbrook even found success with his notoriously fickle jump shot, canning a fourth-quarter 3-pointer for a 107-104 lead.
A game removed from his 28-point effort to pass Moses Malone for ninth on the NBA’s career scoring list, Carmelo Anthony was conspicuously quiet on the stat sheet. The 37-year old scored just four points off the bench and was 1 for 7 from the field.
Murray had 21 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds for his fifth career triple-double, and he missed a jumper in the closing seconds of regulation that would have won it for the Spurs. Poeltl added 14 rebounds and Walker had a season-high 21 points.
Coming out with their first road win against those efforts has the Lakers’ confidence on the rise.
“We never lost belief, even when we were down, that we were going to win the game,” Vogel said. “Just persevered and got a huge road win.”
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