Gregg Popovich quipped all you can do is "get good pictures" when LeBron James is in full flow after the Los Angeles Lakers superstar blew the San Antonio Spurs away on Tuesday.

James scored a game-high 36 points to go with nine assists and seven rebounds in a resounding 129-102 victory for the Lakers at Staples Center.

The four-time NBA MVP was mobbed by his team-mates after landing a fifth three-pointer in the space of just three minutes during the fourth quarter.

Spurs coach Popovich had a short and sharp answer when asked what can be done when James is in that sort of form.

He said: "Make sure you get good pictures? We tried to prevent it. If we could prevent it, we would have."

Anthony Davis lapped up his team-mate's masterclass. 

"When the guy gets hot like that, it's always fun to watch him," said the forward.

He added of the impromptu Lakers celebration: "It wasn't the plan. We all just kind of ran over there and jumped on him."

Defeat for the Spurs came on the back of a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and DeMar DeRozan is concerned by the impact the defeats will have.

"As a competitor, it's what you want to play against," said DeRozan, who poured in 28 points.

"I don't look at it like it's being tough. It's part of the job, part of the game, and as a competitor you want to compete against the best. You worry about the toll afterwards."