The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting the San Antonio Spurs in a battle of Western Conference elites on Wednesday night. The Lakers come into the game at 6-2. Meanwhile, the Spurs are 5-1, with Victor Wembanyama looking like an early MVP favorite.

Early in the first quarter, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic picked up a steal at the top of the key. He took the ball coast to coast and appeared to get hacked as he went up for a layup. After the ball rolled off the rim, the referee blew his whistle for a foul.

But not before Doncic let him have a piece of his mind.

Doncic can be seen yelling and being demonstrative toward the referee. Maybe that cost him a bit of concentration, as the Lakers' leader then missed the first of two free throws. He did, however, make the second.

Article Continues Below

With the game nearing halftime, the Lakers and Spurs are locked in a tight, back and forth game.

Doncic leads all scorers with 20 early points. Wembenyama has actually been held in check thus far, with just six points, three rebounds, and one block as the game nears halftime.

Los Angeles was an unknown commodity this season once news surfaced that LeBron James would miss time to start the season. He is yet to play in 2025-26 and is not traveling with the team. But in his absence, not only has Doncic and center Deandre Ayton stepped up, but so too has Austin Reaves.

Reaves dropped a 50-burger a few games ago, and was looking like someone taking a massive step forward. He followed that up with a 41-point effort the following game, joining some exclusive NBA history. However, he suffered a groin injury in a win over the Miami Heat and was unable to play vs. the Spurs on Wednesday.