It’s been fairly an eventful week for the San Antonio Spurs, and it’s solely Monday. That appeared to be weighing on the Silver and Black as they hit the street for recreation one in all their rodeo street journey in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs didn’t begin off the journey properly, as they struggled mightily with turnovers and capturing in a 128-109 loss. They shouldn’t hold their heads down for lengthy, as assistance is on the way in which within the type of lately acquired level guard, De’Aaron Fox.
The most important distinction within the recreation was turnovers, because the Spurs both couldn’t deal with Memphis’ stress or simply coughed up the ball with unforced errors. San Antonio gave the ball away 23 occasions, and the Grizzlies capitalized for 34 factors off these turnovers. Memphis had 17 steals within the recreation.
Each groups got here out of the gates a bit sluggish after a near-hour delay resulting from a medical emergency with a fan near the court docket that required instant motion from paramedics. The Grizzlies and Spurs traded turnovers till ultimately discovering some rhythm a couple of minutes into the motion. Then it grew to become a battle of the celebrities, as Victor Wembanyama and Ja Morant traded buckets from all around the ground. Wembanyama completed the sport with 27 factors, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of blocks.
Morant was a part of a three-headed offensive assault from the Grizzlies. He had 25 factors and 11 assists and punished the Spurs for leaving him open from deep, hitting 4 of his six threes. Jaren Jackson Jr. was unstoppable all recreation lengthy, no matter who was guarding him, as he completed the sport with a game-high 31 factors, together with 6 rebounds and three blocks. Memphis’ second unit was propelled by its second-year wing, GG Jackson who dropped 27 factors off the bench on 11-20 capturing.
San Antonio spent many of the second quarter struggling, permitting the Grizzlies to construct a 21-point lead. Issues circled after one huge play from Stephon Citadel.
After his explosive end over Santi Aldama, Citadel propelled the Spurs to a 10-0 run that obtained them again into the sport. He had 21 factors, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 turnovers within the loss. Regardless of his efforts, San Antonio couldn’t maintain a run, giving up too many factors to the Grizzlies off their turnovers, or getting carved up inside as Memphis outscored the Spurs 66-50 within the paint.
San Antonio didn’t get a lot offensive manufacturing from anybody moreover Space 51. Jeremy Sochan chipped in 14 factors and eight rebounds off the bench, and hit each of his three-point makes an attempt. The Spurs different scorers struggled to supply as Chris Paul, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie mixed for 9 of 33 capturing from the sector and 4 of 19 from three. The Spurs shot 45.1% from the sector total and simply 33.3% from deep.
Mix the poor capturing, turnovers and paint protection and you’ve got the recipe for a recreation that was determined by the halfway level of the fourth quarter. The Spurs will look a lot completely different in doubtlessly only a few days. The arrival of Fox ought to alleviate some offensive points San Antonio has skilled recently. In a recreation just like the loss to the Grizzlies, having one other go-to scorer that may cease a run or prolong one might be the distinction between a blowout and an in depth recreation.
The loss drops San Antonio to 21-26 and twelfth within the Western Convention. Subsequent, the Spurs will journey to Atlanta for a matchup with the Hawks on Wednesday. Fox and Jordan McLaughlin are scheduled to satisfy with the Spurs in Atlanta on Wednesday, however it hasn’t been introduced whether or not or not they’ll go well with up. Getting Fox in uniform might be simply what the Spurs must bounce again from back-to-back losses.