The San Antonio Spurs spent a lot of Wednesday evening trying to find their footing, trailing early and struggling to gradual Houston’s tempo. By the ultimate buzzer, that they had imposed their will, turning a shaky begin right into a dominant 111–99 highway victory over the Rockets at Toyota Heart.
San Antonio overcame a double-digit first-half deficit by tightening its protection, controlling the glass, and leaning on its measurement within the paint. The Spurs outscored Houston 58–38 within the second half and restricted the Rockets to simply 13 factors within the fourth quarter, sealing the win with disciplined execution and bodily play.
“I believe it’s the job that everybody was doing round him [Wembanyama] that allowed Victor to be that impactful on the rim,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson mentioned. “We had fairly a little bit of crowds on the rim and we did a a lot better job of securing unfastened balls within the second half and the latter a part of the sport.”
The Rockets dictated a lot of the opening half, attacking early within the shot clock and discovering success from the perimeter. Houston constructed a lead that grew to 16 factors as San Antonio struggled to include dribble penetration and gave up second-chance alternatives.
That modified after halftime.
The Spurs emerged with a renewed concentrate on protection, shrinking the ground and forcing Houston into contested photographs. San Antonio started to chip away late within the third quarter, closing the hole behind improved ball motion and a gradual weight loss program of inside scoring.
“It felt like we had been freaking out a bit,” Johnson mentioned. “It felt like we didn’t calm down into the sport [in the first half], however we saved our composure.”
Victor Wembanyama was on the heart of all of it. He star completed with 28 factors and 16 rebounds, anchoring the Spurs on each ends of the ground. Wembanyama repeatedly punished Houston inside, altering photographs defensively whereas drawing fouls and creating area for teammates offensively.
San Antonio’s endurance paid off early within the fourth quarter. After lastly taking the lead late within the third, the Spurs opened the ultimate interval with an 11–0 run that shifted momentum decisively. Defensive stops led to transition alternatives, and the Spurs capitalized by attacking the rim and controlling the tempo.
The Spurs’ benefit within the paint proved decisive. San Antonio constantly beat Houston to unfastened balls and dominated the rebounding battle, limiting the Rockets’ capability to generate second probabilities. As the sport slowed, Houston struggled to seek out clear seems to be in opposition to San Antonio’s size and self-discipline.
Rookie guard Dylan Harper supplied a major enhance off the bench, scoring 16 factors and providing power throughout vital stretches. His capability to assault downhill and convert on the rim helped stabilize the Spurs’ offense when the sport tightened, stopping Houston from regaining momentum.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 25 factors, showcasing his athleticism and aggressiveness all through the evening. However regardless of sturdy particular person performances, Houston couldn’t maintain its early success as soon as San Antonio imposed its defensive construction. The Rockets dedicated key turnovers and endured prolonged scoring droughts within the fourth quarter because the Spurs closed out the sport.
For San Antonio, the win served as a reminder of how efficient the staff may be when it commits to protection and physicality. After a latest stretch marked by inconsistency, the Spurs demonstrated their capability to reply underneath strain and win a tricky, grind-it-out sport on the highway.
The victory additionally highlighted the Spurs’ development in late-game conditions. Reasonably than speeding possessions or settling for contested leap photographs, San Antonio remained composed, working the ball inside and trusting its defensive rotations.
Because the Spurs proceed to navigate a aggressive Western Convention, Wednesday’s efficiency supplied a blueprint for fulfillment — defend, rebound, and let self-discipline dictate the end result. In opposition to a younger and energetic Rockets staff, San Antonio proved that resilience and execution can nonetheless make a distinction.
