The primary time the San Antonio Spurs confronted off with the Toronto Raptors, again on November 5, I used to be in attendance with my spouse and daughter. It was her first Spurs recreation, and we had been excited to see how a five-month-old would react to every little thing that goes on on the Frost Financial institution Heart. The whole lot was easy crusing till the third quarter began, when starvation and exhaustion kicked in. We went out into the courtyard to offer her a bottle and play for a bit. By the point the third quarter was coming to an finish, we knew that it was time for us to move dwelling so she might nap.
Sadly, the Spurs additionally solely lasted that lengthy. A Malaki Branham bucket with 7:56 left within the third pushed the result in 21, which was their largest of the sport. The third ended with the Spurs up 15, however the Raptors would chip away slowly by the fourth. With 37 seconds left, Scottie Barnes hit a 3 that tied the sport at 108 for the primary time because it was 12-12 on the 4:56 mark of the primary.
The Spurs went on to lose in additional time – a loss that feels indicative of season.
When these two groups met up on Monday night, there was an analogous movement to how the primary matchup went. The Spurs led by 5 as an alternative of 4 after one and 17 as an alternative of 19 at halftime. In order the third quarter was beginning, I naturally puzzled if the Spurs had realized from their errors within the first assembly. It was evident that they had as their lead saved going up because the third quarter clock ticked down. On the 2:22 mark, a pair of Devin Vassell free throws gave the workforce their greatest lead of 31.
The one factor that ended up being in query when the fourth quarter began was whether or not Coach Gregg Popovich would maintain Victor Wembanyama within the recreation lengthy sufficient to finish his distinctive triple-double. It was a much-needed blowout for a workforce that might have used any type of win.
Takeaways
Victor Wembanyama and the chase for a quadruple double: Video games like final evening function stark reminders that we’re watching a historic type of participant. A scroll by X and also you’ll come throughout all kinds of ridiculous statistics the Spurs’ rookie has been placing up, like this one from the NBA Historical past account. The craziest a part of all that is that he’s performed greater than half-hour in solely 18 of his 48 video games. To place up a 27-point, 14-rebound, and 10-block efficiency whereas additionally racking up 5 assists and two steals in a mere 29 minutes is absurd. However it additionally brings into actuality that it’s probably solely a matter of time earlier than he turns into the primary participant since David Robinson in 1994 to report a quadruple double. And actually, it seems like he’ll be the primary participant to do it greater than as soon as. May we even see a quintuple double from the alien?
Devin Vassell and the recent hand: A month in the past, Devin Vassell scored a complete of 9 factors throughout two video games whereas capturing 3-24 from the sphere (by far the worst two-game stretch of the season for him) however that didn’t cease some followers from reacting like he performed like that each evening. To his credit score, he’s responded in a giant manner. Within the 15 video games since, he’s averaging 22.2 factors on .502/.394/.800 splits. One factor he’s been doing, and he’s admitted as a lot, is attacking the basket. Prior to those 15 video games, Vassell was averaging 7.2 drives per recreation and three.6 shot makes an attempt on these drives. These numbers are 10.5 and 4.9 over these 15 video games, together with the 12 drives he had in Toronto. That is the kind of progress you like to see from a participant as vital to the workforce as Vassell.
Jeremy Sochan and the shutdown protection: There’s been quite a bit stated about Sochan this season, however the truth stays he’s seen by the Spurs as their premier defender. That’s why recreation after recreation, you see him matched up in opposition to the opposing workforce’s greatest participant. Within the two matchups in opposition to Scottie Barnes, he’s held Barnes to 5 factors on 2-10 capturing. These numbers embrace the truth that Barnes went for 30 factors within the first assembly as he feasted on defenders not named Jeremy. Whereas Sochan might have more durable instances with the likes of Kevin Durant and Luka Dončić, who doesn’t? As younger as he’s, he nonetheless wreaks havoc on gamers within the subsequent offensive tier.
Bonus takeaway
Unsure if anyone has made this level, however you understand how in reveals and films, they’ll have an evil twin and the one distinction is that one has a mustache? Nicely, that’s what I felt was occurring watching Bruce Brown. I can’t assist however suppose there’s some relation to Russell Westbrook someplace in his lineage.
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