SAN ANTONIO – Generational talents Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James clashed Friday with the Spurs besting the shorthanded Lakers 129-115 to snap an 18-game losing streak.

The 19-year-old had already engaged in an epic battle of bigs against Anthony Davis on Wednesday when James sat out with an injured calf.

This time, Davis (hip) sat and James took the floor.

End result: the Spurs starters walked to the bench with 1:48 remaining to a standing ovation at Frost Bank Center.

The franchise-record skid finally ends.

Here are five takeaways from the matchup.

1. Wembanyama starts 4th straight game at center

The team lists the rookie as a forward, and Wembanyama has mentioned “The best way for me to help” the Spurs “is to not put me in a box.”

Yet he’s manned the center spot in four consecutive games now after playing power forward in his first 19 appearances.

Don’t make too much of it. Experimentation rules the day.

The Spurs continue to utilize lineups featuring Wembanyama surrounded by four perimeter players, and Friday’s contest was no different in the search for optimal combinations on the floor.

“I don’t categorize him as a 5,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He gets it on the wing, on top, on the block, in the paint. He is everywhere offensively. If you want to call him a five, that’s just who he guards.”

We’ve seen signs of progress with Wembanyama starting at center. He’s averaging 19.8 points with 16.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks these last four contests.

The rookie also plays a major role in the club’s improvement on defense.

The Spurs rose to 12th in defensive efficiency (114.2 points per 100 possessions) over the past 10 games heading into Friday’s contest, largely on the 8-foot wingspan of Wembanyama.

2. Wemby-LeBron showdown uneventful

The Davis-Wembanyama matchup Wednesday sparked more fireworks than what we saw Friday, as the big men combined for 67 points and 23 rebounds in the Lakers’ 122-119 win.

But the sellout crowd of 18,354 caught a glimpse late in the second quarter of one eventful sequence featuring the generational superstars that came into the league 20 years apart. James found himself with the ball matched up in the corner against the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama.

No problem.

The 38-year-old drilled a step-back 23-footer to make the score 66-60.

“Just trying to get his hands down a little bit because I know his wingspan,” James said. “I was trying to create a little more room and shoot a little higher.”

Wembanyama admitted to feeling the collective eyes of Frost Bank Center fixed on him in that moment.

“It was a very high-arching shot,” he said.

The rookie expected to feel starstruck facing James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP. Once the competitive juices started flowing, the 19-year-old focused solely on the action on the floor.

“No, I didn’t have [any] feelings on the court,” Wembanyama said.

The rookie said the stars didn’t converse after the game.

3. Anthony Davis’ advice to Wemby: ‘Don’t stress yourself out’

Davis expressed empathy earlier in the week for Wembanyama’s stature as a generational talent tasked with turning a franchise’s fortunes.

As the No. 1 overall pick in 2012, Davis entered the league under the weight of hefty expectations. But the 30-year-old said his experience at the 2012 London Olympics eased the transition. Davis played alongside James that summer on a USA team also featuring veterans Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony.

“You’re going to have ups and downs,” Davis said Tuesday after the Lakers’ loss at Dallas. “But don’t stress yourself out over the pressure from everyone else. You’ve got to know what your team wants from you, and don’t think you can turn the franchise around in your first year.”

Davis yelled to James in the visitor’s locker room: “What [did] you do in your rookie year?”

James replied: “As far as what?”

“Playoffs,” Davis said.

James spent that time “in Cancun having a blast.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer had made Davis’ point.

“Even the greatest ever to lace them up didn’t do it his rookie year,” Davis said. “So, I think you just slow roll it, take your time and each year your game just gets better and better.”

4. Spurs not closing the door on potential additions

You’ve heard it before, but San Antonio lacks depth in the backcourt. Tre Jones is the only traditional point guard on the roster, and he comes off the bench.

When asked about consummating potential moves ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Popovich mentioned, “We have what we have, and that’s what we’re going to work with.”

That’s not entirely true.

Despite the struggling Spurs trying their best to develop second-year forward Jeremy Sochan into a point guard, the team plans to keep an open mind if an ideal trade scenario materializes.

Any potential move would be made with a long-term window in mind rather than the present. Individual development and team concepts remain the focus this season.

“But if there’s a trade that would make sense both now and for the long-term, of course we look at it,” Popovich said. “[General manager] Brian Wright and his guys are probably doing that already.”

5. Wembanyama ties Dwight Howard’s mark for double-doubles

Wembanyama posted his seventh straight double-double in just three quarters on Friday to tie Dwight Howard for the most consecutive double-doubles in NBA history for a teenager.

Wembanyama logged 11 points and 12 rebounds over the first three quarters as San Antonio entered the final frame leading 98-87. The rookie finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.

Howard set the record as a 19-year-old in his second season in Orlando, racking up seven double-doubles in a row from Nov. 5 to Nov. 19, with the last taking place just 19 days ahead of his 20th birthday.

As for Wembanyama, the newest milestone meant little compared to San Antonio winning its first game in 43 days.

“Of course, I never want to lose again, but it’s going to happen,” he said. “We just have to enjoy these moments because I’m addicted to winning. This is what I love and it’s what I live for.”

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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