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By Tyler Erzberger
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There is always something dramatic going on with the Los Angeles Lakers, and on Wednesday night, when most of North America was sound asleep, the theatrics continued.
As LeBron James and Austin Reaves sat out due to injury, Luka Doncic did his best to compete against one of the best all-around teams in the league, the San Antonio Spurs.
On the road, Doncic put up a valiant effort, completing a triple-double with 38 points off 50% shooting from the field. He did everything he could muster to keep L.A. in the game down three starters, including Rui Hachimura, but the Spurs were far too much and distanced themselves in the second half.
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In the end, the Spurs won in a snoozer, defeating the Lakers by 16 in a game where they never really felt threatened — well, that’s until after the game.
Following the end of the contest, Lakers player and supposed defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt wanted some sort of victory on the night. He got into a yelling match with Jeremy Sochan, who has never been afraid to speak his mind.
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The two met on the court as their respective teammates tried to soothe the situation before Vanderbilt pointed a finger that quickly turned into a quick swipe to the chin of Sochan.
Sochan’s teammate Julian Champagnie came to his teammate’s defense, pushing Vanderbilt away in anger as the tired Doncic stepped in between the two sides, trying to separate the mess.
Vanderbilt has had a difficult year on the Lakers, having been benched for several weeks due to his poor play before finally returning to the rotation.
The Spurs continue to ride high, even with superstar Victor Wembanyama on a minutes limit, now firmly in second in the Western Conference with a 26-11 record. Los Angeles is in fourth with a 23-12 record, but has an overall negative point differential on the season.
While Vanderbilt awaits his punishment from the NBA for the altercation, the Lakers will look to bounce back against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Friday.
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