Watch: LeBron James' goofy reaction to Austin Reaves' nearly counted halfcourt heave
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James sat out against the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday because of a sore calf, but it didn't stop him from being courtside and cheering for his teammates.
In one instance, he was seen having fun with Austin Reaves after the latter drained a halfcourt buzzer-beater to end the third quarter but was ruled not counted.
The Lakers were looking to bounce back on Wednesday after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in their previous game.
LeBron James sat out the game as a precautionary measure but his team did not miss him too much as the Lakers steadily held fort against the home team Spurs.
They, however, had to buck a spirited late charge by San Antonio, led by Victor Wembanyama, to hold on for a 122-119 victory.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers to victory, finishing with 37 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals. Taurean Prince contributed with 17 points, while Reaves chipped in with 15. Meanwhile, D'Angelo Russell recorded a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists.
Over at San Antonio, Wembanyama top-scored with 30 points, to go along with 13 rebounds and six blocks. Forward Keldon Johnson contributed with 28 points. Their efforts, however, were not enough to prevent the Spurs (3-20) from dropping their 18th straight game.
The win was the 15th for Los Angeles this season in 25 games, placing them in sixth place in the Western Conference. The two teams will play each other again on Friday in San Antonio.
LeBron James misses first face-off with Victor Wembanyama
LeBron James was set to face off against San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama for the first time on Wednesday but calf soreness prevented him from doing so.
‘The King’ was a late scratch for the game as the LA Lakers decided to rest the 38-year-old NBA superstar as he was struggling with a left calf contusion.
It marked only the second time that LeBron James missed a game. For the season, he has been averaging 25.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.5 steals.
He had 33 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and three steals in their previous game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday but were defeated 127-125 by Luka Doncic & Co.
The Spurs game was the second of a back-to-back for the Lakers, who are coming off a successful win at the NBA In-Season Tournament title last weekend.