To this point, the Lakers have been a very good team at home (6-0) and a very, very meh group on the road.

That made Friday's game against a solid-at-home, up-and-coming San Antonio team a big one (whether you're thinking regular season stuff, or the first game in NBA Cup pool play). LA took a punch in the mouth to start the game, but quickly got back on track defensively, finished the first quarter ahead, and stayed out front for (almost) the rest of the game.

Final score, 120-115. The Lakers run their record to 8-4, with a game against an injury-riddled New Orleans squad coming tomorrow.

This was a great game on a lot of levels. It starts with the stars. Anthony Davis finished with 40 points and 12 rebounds. LeBron James, pushing 40, had his FOURTH STRAIGHT triple-double (15/16/12). Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell and Dalton Knecht all finished in double figures, as did Max Christie, pressed into service with Rui Hachimura sidelined thanks to a bum ankle.

Low bar to clear, but this was easily Christie's best game of the season. 11 points, three rebounds, two steals and a block, and a level of aggression that has not been present to this point in the season. Between him and Russell, the Lakers got real, live bench production. It can't be overstated how important that is for them.

Will Christie have a chance to build on this? With Hachimura potentially out Saturday, he could have a chance.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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