The short-handed Spurs Spurs got here into the second sport of their three-game homestand in search of their first win of the week following a two-game skid in Phoenix and final evening in opposition to the Bulls. They confronted a tall job in opposition to the Sacramento Kings with out Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones, and whereas the Spurs initially bought out to a robust begin, they couldn’t preserve it, and the Kings finally pulled away on the again of a scorching three-point capturing evening.
The primary half of the primary quarter was the Spurs’ finest stretch of the sport. Julian Champagnie hit three of his first 4 threes and scored the primary 11 factors of the sport for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson additionally got here in scorching off the bench with 10 fast factors to assist get the lead out to 13 factors. Total, the power and defensive effort was a lot larger that the previous couple of video games, however as soon as Chris Paul subbed out, the offense stagnated, and the Kings went on a 14-1 run to shut the primary quarter to tie issues up at 33 apiece.
That run prolonged to begin the second quarter with the Kings scoring the primary 4 factors earlier than one other Champagnie three broke the ice for the Spurs. Sadly, issues went sideways after Collins picked up his third foul and was ejected for speaking an excessive amount of on his option to the bench (after which made certain he bought his cash’s price with sure hand gesture). The Kings have been within the bonus with 6:32 left within the half, they usually bought the lead as excessive as 12. The Spurs recovered a bit to maintain issues from getting any worse, however they nonetheless couldn’t make sufficient stops and went into halftime down 59-67.
There was nonetheless hope as they got here out extra centered to begin the third quarter and bought inside three at 77-74, however that might be the final severe risk the Spurs posed the remainder of the evening. The Kings responded and pushed the lead all the way in which again out to 18 whereas capitalizing off each little mistake. The Spurs’ bench, which outscored the Kings’ 48-34 on the evening, once more made a little bit push to maintain the sport from getting too out of hand, they usually headed into the fourth quarter down 86-100, nevertheless it was laborious to think about they’d the firepower to come back all the way in which again.
Certain sufficient, the fourth quarter was extra of the identical, with the lead hovering between 14 and 20 many of the approach, and the Kings having a solution for each optimistic play the Spurs made. They bought no matter they needed down low, and that in flip opened up the three-point capturing for a workforce that has struggled massively all season from that vary. They ended up hitting 16-34 on the evening, with Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter all hitting three or extra, and even the Kings’ third string couldn’t miss as they piled on in rubbish time, handing the Spurs their third straight loss, 113-140, and dropping them again to beneath .500.
Sport Notes
With Wembanyama unable to go once more after has again remained sore in warm-ups, the Spurs switched issues up from the final sport and began Collins as a substitute of Jeremy Sochan at heart. The transfer made sense going up in opposition to one of many higher facilities across the rim in Domantas Sabonis. Sadly, as soon as Collins was out, the Spurs had no reply for him down low, and he completed with 22 factors and 16 rebounds. Charles Bassey and Sandro Mamukelashvili struggled on each ends of the ground, and the shortage of an inside sport made life more durable for the remainder of the offense.
Champagnie was a uncommon shiny spot for the Spurs on this sport, hitting a profession excessive six threes for 30 factors — a efficiency that put him in uncommon firm with Jaren Jackson and Gary Neal as the one undrafted Spurs to hit 6+ threes and rating 25 factors in a sport. Chris Paul additionally had a strong evening with 11 factors, 13 assists and eight rebounds, and as unhealthy because the Spurs performed many of the evening, it truly is smart that he had a optimistic field rating plus/minus (+1). The offense flowed when he was on the market, and it didn’t when he wasn’t, merely as that.
Harrison Barnes’ scoring has fallen off a cliff since he received Participant of the Week, with three straight 20-point video games a few weeks in the past and an enormous motive why the Spurs have been in a position to navigate their final stint with out Wemby. Since then, he has scored in single-digit in 5 of their final six video games, and the Spurs have lacked one other offensive pressure to assist sustain whereas the protection struggles with out its chief. The Spurs have wanted everybody to step up in these final two house video games in opposition to beatable groups, however not sufficient gamers have.
Play of the Sport
Truthfully, no specific play stands out from this sport, so I’m going with this oop from Stephon Fortress to Jeremy Sochan. We’ve seen Fortress constructing chemistry with Wemby, so it’s good to see him doing the identical with one other presumed core member of the long run Spurs.
