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Lakers survive embarrassing Marcus Smart blunder in final seconds vs. Spurs
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- Lakers survive embarrassing Marcus Smart blunder in final seconds vs. Spurs
The post Lakers survive embarrassing Marcus Smart blunder in final seconds vs. Spurs appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Marcus Smart probably had the biggest sigh of relief after the Los Angeles Lakers escaped the San Antonio Spurs , 118-116, at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
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The Lakers were holding on to the precious two-point lead with only 1.2 seconds left in the game when Smart committed a head-scratching inbound error . He tried to quickly heave a fullcourt pass to Rui Hachimura but he clearly stepped on the line.
There was a collective groan among the fans, as Smart looked embarrassed with his crucial turnover.
Luckily for the Lakers, the Spurs didn't capitalize in the ensuing possession, allowing the Purple and Gold to survive and extend their winning streak to five games and improve to 7-2.
San Antonio had the chance send the game into overtime after Julian Champagnie was fouled by Jake LaRavia with only 0.4 ticks left. Champagnie, however, missed his free throw. He intentionally muffed his second attempt, but the Spurs couldn't tip it back in.
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It was a hard-earned win for the Lakers, who were down by as much as nine points in the fourth quarter. They rallied behind a balanced attack, with multiple players contributing on both ends. They finally got the lead, 113-112, with 2:31 remaining after Luka Doncic buried a three-pointer.
Smart, Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton sank critical free throws to give the Lakers the nail-biting victory.
Victor Wembanyama , who posterized Bronny James in the first half , fouled out with 1:40 remaining after charging into Hachimura.
Doncic had another all-around magic with 35 points, nine rebounds, 13 assists, five steals, and two blocks, while Ayton had a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds on top of two blocks.
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Smart chipped in 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block.
Related: Luka Doncic sends 'big' warning to NBA as Lakers thrive without LeBron James
Related: What Lakers' Marcus Smart said about embarrassing gaffe that almost blew game vs. Spurs
