Of their final In Season Match sport, the San Antonio Spurs regarded like an improved staff. For lengthy stretches of the sport they held their very own defensively, and had been retaining tempo with a excessive powered Golden State offense. They couldn’t overcome some excessive scoring runs from the Warriors of their 118-112 loss on Friday night time.
Taking part in championship contenders intently in excessive stakes video games are usually end result for rebuilding groups. It’s comprehensible for followers to be pissed off after 11-straight losses, however the younger Spurs fought tooth and nail towards one of many premier groups within the league. It was a sport filled with highlights for the Silver and Black.
Notably from a trio of Spurs. Beginning with Keldon Johnson, who has been a constant scoring presence for San Antonio. He put up 22 factors, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and a couple of steals towards the Warriors.
He began the sport with this hit forward move to Victor Wembanyama for a straightforward dunk. It is a move many have begged the Spurs to make extra usually. Wembanyama can create benefits on the quick break if his teammates lookup. What a dime from KJ to Wemby.
Johnson is among the Spurs finest rim finishers taking pictures 63.2% on the basket. Everyone knows “huge physique” is powerful, however it’s his mixture of that power together with good contact and agility that make him deadly within the paint. He’s confirmed off the euro-step in the previous few video games. It’s a fairly transfer that ought to make him much more efficient on the cup.
Johnson has been taking pictures the ball effectively these days. He’s hitting 35.6% of his three-pointers this season, and hitting 37% of his catch and shoot makes an attempt. Right here he floats to the wing off the Jeremy Sochan, Wembanyama choose and roll. Because the protection collapses to cowl Wemby, Sochan makes an important learn, hitting Johnson in rhythm for 3.
Wembanyama put collectively one other strong night time towards Golden State. He was a presence across the basket and within the mid-range, placing up 22 factors, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a couple of blocks.
How about this block on Stephen Curry? His patented scooping floater has been cash through the years, however Wembanyama erases it with ease. It results in Sochan navigating the break, retaining the play alive together with his dribble and discovering an open shooter in Doug McDermott. That is nice protection to offense for the Spurs.
Right here is your Nerf hoop play of the sport. Wembanyama is simply ridiculous on the break. This play appears to be like like how you’d dunk in your little cousins at Thanksgiving.
There have been some good submit performs from Wemby on this sport. He loves the faux center, and go baseline for a hook transfer. It’s been onerous for him to get to it with a scarcity of deep place, and double groups coming shortly. As soon as he is ready to get into this transfer a bit quicker, it ought to be a better bucket for the rookie.
Yow will discover extra of Wemby’s highlights under.
Devin Vassell got here off the bench as soon as once more for the Spurs and was an efficient scorer. He had a team-high 24 factors in 27 minutes. Vassell was energetic on the break, and confirmed off his deep bag that compliments his taking pictures stroke.
It is a good compilation of some highlights from Vassell’s first half. He’s attending to his spots off the dribble, discovering methods to assault the rim, all whereas being one of many Spurs finest off-ball shooters. His go-to-scorer skillset is growing shortly. He’s an important praise to Wembanyama on the perimeter.
Yow will discover full highlights from the Spurs loss to the Warriors under.
