SAN ANTONIO — In their first game defending the Emirates NBA Cup title, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a 120-115 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, highlighted by standout performances from their stars. Anthony Davis dominated the game with an impressive 40 points and 12 rebounds. LeBron James also delivered a remarkable performance, finishing with a triple-double of 15 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists, marking his career-best fourth consecutive triple-double.

Victor Wembanyama had a strong outing for the Spurs, contributing 28 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Just two nights prior, Wembanyama achieved a personal best with 50 points in a thrilling 139-130 win over Washington. Davis made 14 of his 26 shots, including 2 of 4 from beyond the arc, achieving his highest score so far this season. Other notable contributors for the Lakers included Austin Reaves with 19 points, Dalton Knecht with 14, and D’Angelo Russell scoring 13 points.

San Antonio initially took control of the game, jumping out to an early 11-0 lead, which featured a spectacular alley-oop dunk by Wembanyama, assisted by 20-year-old teammate Stephon Castle. However, Davis’s 16 points in the first quarter helped Los Angeles rally back, finishing the quarter strong with a 21-8 spurt to end at 31-30 in their favor.

Castle ended the night with 22 points, while Devin Vassell contributed 15 points for the Spurs. Among the highlights was Chris Paul, who recorded 11 points and 11 assists, allowing him to reach a significant milestone of 12,008 career assists. He joins the elite company of John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players surpassing the 12,000-assist mark.

A pivotal moment of the game occurred with the Lakers leading 116-115. Paul was called for an offensive foul while trying to set a screen for Wembanyama, which resulted in a turnover. This set the stage for a crucial layup by James, extending the Lakers’ lead to 118-115 with just 25 seconds left on the clock.

One noteworthy statistic was the Lakers’ dominance on second-chance points, outscoring the Spurs 15-6 in this category, particularly emphasizing their early advantage with an 8-0 lead in the first quarter.

Looking ahead, the Lakers will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night to complete a back-to-back schedule, while the Spurs travel to Dallas for their next matchup before returning home for a three-game homestand.