Lakers beat Sixers but get a scare with Doncic injury

With a stellar performance from Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115 Thursday night in a matchup that Luka Doncic exited due to injury.

Here are the top scenes from this eight-game day of the NBA, held after the trade deadline closed:

After three weeks on the road, the Lakers had a successful reunion with their home crowd fueled by an inspired Austin Reaves.

The shooting guard, who returned to competition this week after more than a month on the sidelines, punished the visitors with 35 points in just 25 minutes of play coming off the bench.

LeBron James scored 17 points and dished out 10 assists as he took over as playmaker after Doncic withdrew from the game.

The Slovenian, who had 10 points in 16 minutes, retreated in frustration to the locker room near halftime after a play in which he took his hand to his left leg.

At first, the Lakers reported that their star was suffering pain in his left leg. Subsequently, coach JJ Redick reported to the press that the injury is located in the hamstring and its extent will not be defined until medical tests are performed.

Doncic is one of the players selected as a starter for the Feb. 15 All-Star Game in Los Angeles.

Another selected player, center Jalen Duren, withdrew with knee discomfort from the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons' surprising 126-117 home loss to the second-to-last-place Washington Wizards.

The capital franchise was the big player of the transfer market in acquiring Trae Young and Anthony Davis, who are still unable to make their debuts because of physical problems.

Wemby vs. Flagg

The San Antonio Spurs dominated the Dallas Mavericks 135-123 in a Texas showdown highlighted by two of the NBA’s brightest future stars, Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg.

Frenchman Wembanyama, who will play his second All-Star game at age 22, scored the Spurs' first 10 points for a halftime total of 20.

The 2023 No. 1 Draft pick concluded with a majestic 29 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 5 3-pointers.

Flagg, first pick in the last Draft, again showed signs of his immense potential with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

The 19-year-old power forward has now scored more than 30 points in four consecutive games and is the only positive note in a franchise tormented by its own mistakes.

This week the Mavericks traded away Anthony Davis, the player they received a year ago in exchange for Doncic, in an attempt to turn the page on the incomprehensible sale of the Slovenian.

Dallas, which has strung together six straight losses, is 12th in the West while the Spurs are second and already have 35 wins, a figure they have not reached since the 2018-2019 campaign.