San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson pointed to focus and execution as key factors after his team defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 136-108 on Tuesday night at crypto.com Arena. The Western Conference’s second-place squad improved to 37-16 with its fifth straight victory, fueled by Victor Wembanyama’s 40-point performance.
“I thought we started the game with the right amount of focus for sure,” Johnson said when asked about facing a short-handed opponent. The Lakers were without Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, but the Spurs controlled tempo from the opening tip.
Wembanyama scored 37 points in the first half, the highest-scoring half in the NBA this season, and Johnson emphasized how the center’s approach shaped the game early. “I thought his anticipation and aggressiveness on defense and then also some of his intentional moves offensively,” he said. “He just was collapsing the defense quite a bit, and I thought that really set a tone.”
The coach described how spacing and momentum make the French star difficult to guard within San Antonio’s offensive system. “The two areas where he is pretty hard to give resistance is when he has space or momentum,” Johnson said. “I thought tonight he did really well in both those cases.”
San Antonio shot 57% from the field and recorded 34 assists, reflecting the ball movement Johnson has emphasized throughout the season. “I thought we did a good job tonight of playing clean offensive basketball and he found himself in space a few times,” he added.
Continuity has also been a focus for the Spurs, who kept their roster intact while navigating injuries earlier in the year. “Just being able to get some consistent time together will be helpful,” Johnson said. “All the on-the-court, on-the-job training is important.”
Johnson acknowledged that integrating returning players can shift roles and opportunities. “When you have main guys out… that’s a lot to make up for,” he said. “When you bring them back, there’s less of the pie to go around… it is an adjustment.”
Carter Bryant contributed a career-high 16 points, and the coach credited his growth to experience and preparation. “The game slows down,” Johnson said. “Pattern recognition, getting used to personnel tendencies… he’s starting to get a hold of what is expected of him.”
Despite the large margin, Johnson rejected the idea of any easy nights during the season. “I wouldn’t use those words,” he said. “Every game is hard because you’re constantly trying to fight for perfection… there’s really no out for the grind.”
The Spurs also monitored guard Stephon Castle after a hard fall that resulted in a bruised pelvis. “I do know that he was just hit the tailbone mostly,” Johnson said. “I’m expecting to be pretty sore… but it was good that he walked off.”
San Antonio travels to Golden State next as it continues a push near the top of the Western Conference standings, while Los Angeles returns home to face Dallas.
