Some say there is no such thing as a “planned” loss. But from a scheduling perspective, it’s so difficult to play against LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the second game of a meeting – even if the Los Angeles Lakers are in the same boat. The low-energy San Antonio Spurs team was outmatched all night as they lost to the Lakers 117-99 and fell to 10-9 on the season.

San Antonio earned a quick 9-2 victory and appeared to have the strength to give the Lakers a tough game after a game on Tuesday. The Lakers took that first blow and took a 32-23 lead in the first game, which they didn’t relinquish for the rest of the game.

The Spurs never quite found their footing offensively and struggled to get consistent performance from their goalscorers. They shot 42.4% from the field and 35% from deep and turned the ball over 15 times. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks, but he shot just 9-20 from the field and 2-9 from deep.

Struggling on offense is one thing, but those tired legs also affect defense. The Lakers got almost everything they wanted, shooting 53.3% from the field and 38.2% from three. Los Angeles outscored the Spurs 58-42 in the game and outscored them 46-38. San Antonio missed rotations in the halfcourt and struggled to protect the Lakers as they attacked in transition.

“I thought our physicality and conviction were not there early in the game,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “It was disappointing, especially in a game where you have an opponent who doesn’t help you.”

“We had 1-5 red (man-to-man defense, switch everything), so that requires a lot of physicality and communication, and I think our guys executed that at a great level,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said . “We did a great job of containing the basketball and not scattering it.”

The Lakers showed strong performances from their superstars. LeBron James had a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Anthony Davis had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. They controlled the game on both sides, especially Davis who was a strong force in the game.

It was the Lakers’ supporting cast that really rose to the challenge. In Los Angeles, seven players scored double-digit points. Dalton Knecht had 20 points, including 4 deep balls and 8 rebounds. D’Angelo Russell provided a spark off the bench with 17 points and 5 assists.

The Spurs had solid performances from their wings, especially in the second and third quarters when it looked like the Spurs might come back. Devin Vassell played his first game since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him five games. He had 14 points off the bench and 2 steals while shooting 2-3 from three.

“He looked good,” Johnson said. “We know Devin can score and help us if he continues to find his rhythm. We just have to continue to integrate him into the structure of the team and I don’t think that will take long.”

Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes helped keep the Spurs in the game until the Lakers ran away with it in the fourth. Barnes was automatic from deep, shooting 5-6 from deep en route to 19 points. Champagnie gave the Spurs a little bit of everything offensively, attacking closeouts and scoring three times. He had 18 points and 5 rebounds on 6-12 shooting from the field.

After the clash, the Spurs will have three days off before traveling to Sacramento for a game against the Kings on Sunday. It’s the first game of a two-game road trip that includes an important NBA Cup match against the Phoenix Suns next Tuesday.

“I would hope (the loss) isn’t a heat check,” Johnson said. He later added: “Hopefully we’re getting a little bit healthier, so I’ll tell you in a week or two if (the time off) was a good thing.”