Davis, James Lead Lakers' Late Rally Over Spurs, 109-103
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Anthony Davis had 35 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James added 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 on Friday night.
The Lakers closed the game with a 9-0 run for their second win against the Spurs in three days.
Keldon Johnson had a career-high 26 points and added 10 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for San Antonio.
Johnson blocked James' layup attempt, but Kyle Kuzma tipped in the follow to give the Lakers a 105-103 lead with 53.9 seconds remaining. James followed with a layup and Davis closed the scoring with two free throws.
Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope exited in the second half after spraining his left ankle when he stepped awkwardly driving for a layup. Caldwell-Pope remained down for about a minute before being assisted off the court. He had 11 points before exiting with 8:31 left in the third quarter.
Spurs guard Derrick White had nine points in 23 minutes in his season debut after undergoing toe surgery in the offseason.
Johnson was 5 for 9 on 3-pointers, including a 26-footer with 6:30 remaining that put the Spurs up 95-94.
Unlike in Wednesday's 121-107 loss, the Spurs were able to keep pace with the Lakers early.
The Lakers picked up their pace to start the second half, resulting in a 10-2 advantage in fast-break points and a 64-57 lead a minute into the third quarter. Los Angeles closed the game with a 12-9 advantage on fast-break points.
TIP-INS
Lakers: The Lakers entered the game shooting 42 percent on 3-pointers, which is second in the league. They were 14 for 33 on Friday. … Wesley Matthews was scoreless, going 0 for 2 on 3-pointers after going 6 for 6 on 3s and scoring 18 points in Wednesday's victory over the Spurs. … James fell to the court after taking an elbow from Drew Eubanks early in the fourth. James continually grabbed his side for a few possessions after but appeared fine afterwards.
Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge missed his second straight game with an undisclosed illness as well as a sore left knee. ... White made his first attempt of the season, a 26-foot, 3-pointer with 53 seconds left in the first quarter.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Open a second straight two-game miniseries on the road Sunday against Memphis, where they play again Tuesday.
Spurs: Complete a three-game homestand against Utah on Sunday.
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