Chapter 1: What game did the Spurs win and what were the implications?
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily presented by Amazon Prime for January 29th, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Zena Kata coming up. The Spurs pick up a big win in the West. We talked to Dan Wojcicki about LeBron and we were wondering, is this his last season? Good morning, everybody. Good morning, Zena. How's it going?
Always wonderful after you see a great night of basketball.
Yeah, it wasn't bad. I mean, listen, it's the schedule is kind of up and down right now. There's bad weather stuff affecting everything. But, you know, we get a big Knicks Raptors game. We're going to talk to S in a minute because he was there for that game. But first, before we get to that, Houston, San Antonio, big Western Conference matchup. And I have been doubting the Rockets.
Chapter 2: How did the Knicks perform against the Raptors?
I spent the first two and a half quarters of this game being ready to eat crow on the show. OK, and, you know, look, we found out yesterday that Stephen Adams had season ending surgery on on that left ankle that he injured. And this has been one of my big concerns about them. And every single one of my concerns about the Houston Rockets came back.
to fruition the last 18 minutes of the basketball game. The Spurs win 111-99, and largely, Zena, because the Rockets don't generate enough threes. Their offense doesn't have enough rhythm, really, when you're able to sag off a men Thompson the way that the Spurs were able to and just dare him to shoot.
That worked, and without Steven Adams, they weren't owning the offensive glass, so they weren't getting those second-chance points. It was a rough night for the Rockets, and they started out so well.
They really did, and the Spurs were able to recuperate in the second half, which is huge considering the fact that they weren't at home. They're still getting back to having Devin Bissell back into the lineup, and they came in. You were like, it looks like the athleticism for Houston and just the –
Ability to create shots and hit them is going to outlast the Spurs, but thank God for Victor Webinyama. Ended up with 28-16 for the night, 13-9 in that fourth quarter. He really came alive, but it was a full team effort, incredibly balanced.
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Chapter 3: Is this potentially LeBron James' last season?
You saw Devin Bissell doing what he needed to do, not only from a defensive end, but also just being able to organize this team, which is always great, being able to allow De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle and everyone to be in the right places out on the floor when you have him. He's such a connector for their different lineups.
You saw Victor Wemenyama be good all the way throughout a game, which is so huge, especially against an opponent like this. We've seen Victor Wemenyama be phenomenal, be absurd, make crazy plays, have crazy games, have crazy stat lines. But it's been a matter of, can he do it consistently? Can he do it back to back? And being able to do this against a team like the Rockets that
Technically not at full health, especially with Steven Adams out. But they had Tari Eason back. They had Jabari Smith Jr. They had the length. And Clint Capella is not a center I would scoff at.
Well, again, the first two and a half quarters, the offensive rebounding was there. I mean, look, when you look at the box score, 17-8 offensive rebounding advantage for the Rockets. The problem was that it dried up in the second half, right? Like, it's just...
And the Rockets went one for six from three. Right. And that was a change, right?
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Chapter 4: What are the challenges faced by the Houston Rockets?
We were in the first quarter like, I was going to eat crow about the whole comment we keep making about the Houston Rockets can't shoot. Reed Shepard was out there shooting. Jabari Smith Jr. was out there shooting. Albert Changoon found a shot. I mean, it was just threes galore, it felt like, in the first half.
And then all of a sudden, you recognize and realize, ooh, these are the Rockets we're talking about. And you realize how much, how much pestering Stephon Castle can do. Because he was on...
Kevin Durant I was gonna say Kavon Durant he was on Kevin Durant like white on rice it was annoying he was in his jersey and then that and you saw Houston resort back to what they do when defense picks up if physicality picks up they go one-on-one a lot and that's when their offense kind of shut down
Yeah, it was a rough night for him. But again, to mention Wemby one more time, since that little knee injury that he picked up, you know, whatever that was, three or four weeks ago, he hasn't quite looked right. And I still think defensively, he's not moving the way that we're used to. But 28 points, 16 rebounds, it was a big night for him. You mentioned Steph Castle. I'm shocked.
that Steph Castle is able to guard a guy of Kevin Durant's size so effectively. You know, when he comes over and picks up the block at the end, kind of steals his thunder a little bit down the stretch. But, I mean, yeah, amazing defense from him.
You don't get to that shot clock violation without Stephon Castle breathing down the neck Or really up the jersey. If you're looking at height differential.
Kevin Durant. Also, the Spurs guards, they've been struggling lately. But I think getting Devin Vassell back just kind of lets everyone play a little bit more of where they ought to be. Kelton Johnson also, by the way, he was really good.
He should put on a post-move clinic. And I think he's underrated in that department. Yeah.
I don't know if it's just because he's on the Spurs or if it's like the number three.
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Chapter 5: How did Victor Wembanyama impact the Spurs' game?
But, man, he's starting to feel like Boris Diaw to me sometimes. I love that. He's a little thick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And maybe that's part of it. But, you know, there's something that is hearkening back to those Diaw years. Look, we got a big game in the Eastern Conference between the Raptors and the Knicks. So let's go to S. And joining us where the Raptors got smoked by the Knicks.
Although, look, they tricked us in the first half, S. They did. Here after the Raptors lose to the Knicks, 1-19-92. Zena, look, we were watching this. We're thinking, uh-oh. The daily curse. We got two guests. There's no way we're cursing both teams. And then, man, the bottom fell out for the Raptors.
Voila. Don't ever doubt us, Dave. Don't ever doubt us. We're powerful.
What happened to us? Look, it was a tale of two halves, and I think a lot of it came down to three-point shooting. The Knicks were on fire in the second half, and I think a lot of that has to do with the volume that they get up. Right. Like, the Raptors deal with... I'll say it like this. The Raptors have a math problem.
They have an absolute math problem there near the bottom of the league when it comes to three-point attempts, near the bottom of the league when it comes to three-point percentage. And so when you're facing a team like the Knicks that, one, likes to shoot a lot of threes and also makes a lot of threes, you end up being at a disadvantage already offensively.
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Chapter 6: What were the main issues with the Raptors' performance?
And, you know, turnovers didn't allow for the Raptors to get into their transition game as often as they'd like, but... Truthfully, this Raptors team definitely has a math problem, especially when it comes to playing teams that have very elite offenses like the Knicks do.
It felt like the Raptors came into this game with an agenda. The way they were playing defense in that first half, the way they came out throwing bows, it felt like they were playing to prove something. Did Darko or anyone talk about that pregame? Did you get that sense?
No, he likes to take pressure off of the guys so much. And basically every time I've asked him or another member of the media has asked him whether he cares about these matchups against the top Eastern Conference teams. And he's like, I don't even know where the Raptors are in the standings. He said he's not checking the standings until the All-Star break.
I don't necessarily believe that.
He also said that he hopes that the big acquisition that they get at the trade deadline is Jakob Perl. And I'm sorry, but I'm sure he's hoping it's Giannis and not Jakob. Come on. He is not. Listen, nice guy. I appreciate how nice he's been.
Yeah, yeah, of course.
I mean, listen, they are physical, though, to Xena's point. I mean, not just this game. But especially I felt like in the first half of this game, they were just overtly physical, like hit you in the face. And look, to the Knicks credit, I thought they were going to fold.
You know, when Toronto got out to that nice lead in the second quarter, we've seen the Knicks not be able to come back from that, especially here lately. The Knicks came out after halftime and it was just like a completely different world for the Raptors. So you say they have a math problem. They also they took 11 fewer shots.
You can't you can't lose at the three point line and not win in the turnover battle and on the offensive glass. So I think there's a there's more than just the threes there. And they typically are a little bit better on the glass. New York got to him, though, and I think it's because there was a lack of concentration in the second half. Mitchell Robinson didn't play in this game for the Knicks.
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Chapter 7: What did LeBron's tribute video reveal about his emotional state?
Sorry.
It's all good. It's all good. That is completely over my head, by the way. I'm not, I do not. I'll send a link. It's okay. No, it's not for me. But what is for me is, you know, Dan's pieces. And Dan, you just did a piece about this, like, I don't know what you would call it, kerfuffle in the Lakers organization. And I, you think about a beautiful piece.
end to this story and you know lebron riding out into the sunset this feels like a record scratch in this story that's come out uh that you reported on this conversation around genie bus the bus family and how lebron was regarded um yeah with some of the decisions etc one i'm curious Do we feel like the organization's moving past that from what you've gathered and what you've seen?
No question. No question.
Okay. Okay. And then two, does this have any... Is there any question about Bronny's next phase with the Lakers because of this conversation?
Well, yeah. I mean, so... I think I'd like to view these things as like separate events. Obviously, like they share a name. They share DNA. So like they're they're like like literally and figuratively connected. I want to read you this quote. Somebody asked him why today somebody asked him why it's so hard for guys to stick the landing when it comes to their retirement.
He said, what do you mean stick the landing as far as what? And the person said, end your career on a perfect note. This is what he said. I don't know, but what's perfect? What defines perfect? I don't think that's for every individual. I don't think, you know, I don't think whatever brings you the most happiness is what probably defines perfect for you individually.
It's not to find off wins and losses or championship here, an all-star here or whatever the case may be. I think it's defined as what makes you happy in your last season. That's what he said about that. Here's what's crazy. I don't really know what makes him happy at this stage. I think it's still winning. Sure. I think part of it is performing.
I think part of it is, is like looking in the mirror and seeing the gray hairs in your beard and like feeling your back ache and, you know, just like the general brain fog that comes with doing this, you know, 1600 some odd times or whatever the number is playing more season than anybody else. Like, and being like, how much further can I push this? Right. Like that's part of it too.
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