SAN ANTONIO — The dance music blared as the crowd took turns roaring their way through a fourth-quarter timeout, Lakers coach JJ Redick frustrated after another clean look for the Spurs allowed them to get within a point.
To that point, the game had delivered.
With the NBA Cup raising the stakes, Anthony Davis and Victor Wembanyama dueled. The teams traded, and blew, double-digit leads. And with LMFAO turned up to 11 midway through the fourth, the NBA had exactly what it wanted — a November basketball game that felt like it mattered.