"EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart was cleared to practice Tuesday after being sidelined with a back issue for the past two weeks, giving L.A. a defensive boost heading into Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. "Back's feeling good," Smart said. "Felt good in practice today. So we did some tests, passed the tests. We're going to give it a shot tomorrow. See how it feels.""
""I'll be doing as much as I can, but it's a game plan where the whole team has to guard him," Lakers center Deandre Ayton said of Wembanyama. "Just shut him down and make everything uncomfortable for him and that's what we've been working on ... just really just leaving the focus on him on the defensive end and making our defense create our offense in transition.""
"Wembanyama, who is averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks, has missed the Spurs' last 11 games with a left calf strain. L.A. beat San Antonio 118-116 on Nov. 5, and Wembanyama was held relatively in check, finishing with 19 points on 5-for-14 shooting, 8 rebounds and 5 turnovers while fouling out. Since that game, the Spurs have gotten former All-Star De'Aaron Fox back in the lineup and have gone 10-5 over their last 15, with Fox averaging 24.3 points and 6.5 assists."
Marcus Smart was cleared to practice Tuesday after missing two weeks with what the team termed a left lumbar muscle strain and had missed six games. Smart said his back felt good after practice, that he passed tests and that the team would see how it feels in the game. Smart is averaging 9.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals after signing as a free agent this summer. The Lakers prepared for the possible return of Victor Wembanyama, who averages 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks and has missed 11 games with a left calf strain. Deandre Ayton described a team defensive plan to contain Wembanyama and emphasized using defense to create transition offense. The Spurs have added De'Aaron Fox and have gone 10-5 since his return, with Fox averaging 24.3 points and 6.5 assists.
Read at ESPN.com
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