The San Antonio Spurs will start their Rodeo Highway Journey having dropped the previous 4 video games together with tonight’s 117-101 loss to the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs got here into the competition as the most well liked staff within the NBA, having received 12 of their previous 13 video games and sitting snug within the Prime-5 within the Jap Convention.
The sport began off with a conflict of types with the Spurs taking pictures from anyplace moreover the paint because the Cavs double-big lineup with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley had been manning the paint. The Cavs had been making the most of their general measurement and dominating the factors within the paint on the opposite finish of the ground. The Spurs struggled to get many factors inside within the early exchanges however Keldon Johnson who missed the previous two video games with an elbow damage got here off the bench firing from the surface to offer the Spurs life. Cleveland had been up 30-25 after one.
San Antonio altered their method to begin the second interval, enjoying by their franchise participant, Victor Wembanyama. Wemby was doing job of taking the eye of the Cavs protection whereas Keldon was taking full benefit of some further area out on the court docket as he raced away to 16 first-half factors. The Silver & Black fought all the best way again to a single possession sport however couldn’t recover from the hump because the ball simply wouldn’t fall by the ring once they went to tie or take the lead. Whereas on the opposite finish, Evan Mobley who shoots 23% from the surface for his profession hit back-to-back triples to offer the guests some respiratory room. It wasn’t a fairly finish to the half both for the Spurs as they performed some turnover inclined basketball and the Cavs took their probability to enter the half with a 22-point lead, 67-45.
Coach Pop had his staff prepared popping out of the half-time break with the Spurs beginning the third interval with a ton of vitality that included some straightforward buckets which pressured Cleveland Coach, J.B Bickerstaff into an early timeout. Sadly the Spurs couldn’t preserve the momentum going as their scoring dried up and the Cavs inside protection stood up as soon as once more and made life a nightmare for the Spurs to attain anyplace near the bucket. It was a 92-71 sport on the finish of three with San Antonio having simply run out of legs.
The Silver & Black did do job of not letting the rating ballon a lot additional with Devin Vassell and Wemby aiding a number of the scoring from the free throw line within the fourth quarter. Then with lower than a minute to play and everybody able to go residence, there was a scuffle between Zach Collins and Donovan Mitchell which led to each gamers getting ejected. The scuffle began when Zach caught Mitchell within the face with an elbow on a display screen which then led Donovan to retaliate and two-hand push Collins in his face. After the logistics had been sorted out and each gamers headed to the locker room the Cavs dribbled the ball out as 117-101 winners.
Recreation Notes
No Fuel. For almost all of the night time the Spurs appeared fairly drained and fatigued. This shouldn’t be a lot of a shock with them having performed six video games previously 9 days, together with tonight’s sport being on the second night time of a back-to-back. The Spurs will now get three days off earlier than they start their Rodeo Highway Journey and they’re going to want each minute of the mini-rest earlier than what’s often one of the gruelling elements of the season.
Bench Increase Barlow. Outdoors of Keldon Johnson the Spurs bench was fairly non-existent on this sport. The second unit has been disastrous defensively all season lengthy and is within the want of extra athleticism and measurement to assist when Wemby and co head to the bench. Dom Barlow who had been filling in for Zach Collins the previous few weeks whereas Collins handled an ankle damage had been giving the Spurs some good minutes in that position and was offering some good protection and a few athletic burst. I doubt Coach Pop benches a Vet like Zach, even with the best way he has performed on each ends this season, however I do assume San Antonio must be determined to search out some minutes for Barlow who had been enjoying nicely and was impacting successful and definitely didn’t need to have his minutes reduce.
A Attainable Residence Farewell. With the Commerce Deadline quickly approaching and the Spurs not enjoying one other residence sport till the top of February, tonight may need been the ultimate residence sport for a number of the Spurs vets like Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman & Devonte’ Graham. If it was, all three have been exemplary Spurs. Whether or not it was their locker room management or serving to out the younger guys on the ground and even hitting a couple of huge pictures, will probably be unhappy to see them go. We received’t have to attend lengthy to search out out if the Spurs make some strikes with the NBA Commerce Deadline coming this Thursday 8 February.
Participant of the Recreation
third: Victor Wembanyama – 19 factors (5/16, 2/4 7/8), 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 shares in 27 minutes
2nd: Keldon Johnson – 17 factors (7/11, 2/3, 1/2), 5 rebounds, 1 steals in 22 minutes
1st: Devin Vassell – 22 factors (7/16, 3/8, 5/5), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block in 34 minutes
Play Of The Recreation
I hope this kind of play from a 7’5+ human/alien by no means simply feels regular:
Subsequent Recreation: @ Miami on Wednesday
The Spurs kick off their Rodeo Highway Journey with a matchup towards final yr’s Jap Convention Champions, Miami Warmth.
