For a half, it seemed just like the San Antonio Spurs may limp into the All-Star break. As a substitute, they stormed into it.
Behind a ferocious second-half turnaround and one other poised efficiency from their younger stars, the Spurs erased a 16-point third quarter deficit and powered previous the Golden State Warriors 126-113 on Wednesday evening at Chase Heart. The win prolonged San Antonio’s streak to 6 video games and bolstered a rising perception across the league: this staff is maturing quick.
The Spurs didn’t simply win. They imposed themselves.
Golden State got here out sharp, transferring the ball and pulling down perimeter pictures to grab early management. The Warriors dictated tempo within the first quarter and maintained separation via a lot of the second, capitalizing on defensive lapses and pushing their lead into double digits.
San Antonio seemed a step sluggish defensively and out of rhythm offensively. However there was no panic on the bench. No seen frustration. Only a regular tempo.
The shift started halfway via the third quarter. The Spurs ramped up their defensive depth, reduce off driving lanes and compelled Golden State into more durable, contested seems to be. What had been snug Warriors possessions abruptly turned rushed ones.
On the different finish, San Antonio simplified its method. The ball discovered the paint. Cuts turned sharper. Screens hit more durable. The Spurs started bullying their method inside — and the Warriors had no reply.
Fox ignited the comeback, ending with 27 factors and eight assists. He managed tempo throughout a pivotal stretch late within the third quarter, slicing into the lane and pulling down pull-up jumpers that erased the deficit piece by piece. A deep jumper simply earlier than the buzzer capped a livid run and tied the sport heading into the fourth.
That’s when Victor Wembanyama took over.
The 7-foot-4 franchise cornerstone delivered 26 factors and 9 rebounds, however his influence went past the stat sheet. Early within the fourth quarter, he altered two pictures on the rim on consecutive possessions, then sprinted the ground for a alley-oop slam that despatched the Spurs bench right into a frenzy.
Moments later, he stepped out and buried a three-pointer. The sequence turned a decent contest right into a Spurs benefit — and drained the constructing of its power.
San Antonio outscored Golden State 32–19 within the ultimate quarter, suffocating the Warriors with size and physicality. The Spurs dominated the glass down the stretch and repeatedly punished mismatches inside.
Keldon Johnson supplied a vital elevate off the bench, scoring 21 factors with aggressive drives and perimeter pictures. His power stabilized the rotation when the starters briefly rested and ensured the momentum by no means shifted again.
Golden State fought to remain inside placing distance. Draymond Inexperienced flirted with a triple-double and battled relentlessly within the paint, whereas Moses Moody and De’Anthony Melton equipped scoring on the perimeter. However with out sustained rhythm — and with out Stephen Curry in uniform — the Warriors couldn’t match San Antonio’s late-game execution.
Probably the most spectacular a part of the Spurs’ efficiency wasn’t the scoring burst. It was the composure.
Early within the season, falling behind by 16 on the street may need unraveled this younger group. On Wednesday, it sharpened them.
Defensive rotations tightened. Communication improved. Shot choice matured. The Spurs seemed much less like an upstart and extra like a staff studying the right way to win troublesome video games in hostile environments.
As the ultimate minutes ticked away, the Spurs had been hugging and clapping as Golden State dribbled out the clock. One other comeback. One other assertion.
Now 38-16, San Antonio heads into the All-Star break with momentum and rising confidence. The offense is fluid. The protection is evolving. And the chemistry between Fox and Wembanyama is changing into one of many league’s most harmful mixtures.
For a staff that when leaned closely on potential, the Spurs at the moment are leaning on outcomes.
Wednesday evening was proof: this group doesn’t fold when punched. It responds.
And more and more, it finishes.
