Coming off their finest two-game stretch of the season, with dwelling wins towards the Thunder and Pacers, the Spurs had been proper again out on the highway to tackle their IH-10 rivals, the Houston Rockets, hoping for his or her first three-game profitable streak since December 2022. Sadly, it didn’t occur tonight, as Victor Wembanyama suffered via presumably the worst sport of his profession whereas Alperen Sengun had his finest with 45 factors, 16 rebounds and 5 steals at hand the Spurs a 101-114 loss.
Issues began nicely sufficient, with Wemby hitting a Tim Duncan financial institution, blocking Sengun, and step again three because the Spurs obtained up 9-3 early, however past a a couple of runs, it will be principally Rockets from then on. They responded with 20-6, and Sengun made positive to feast when Wemby was off the courtroom with 7 factors within the first quarter. The Rockets stretched the lead out to 23-15 as they continued to get the homecourt function whereas pictures stored jiggling out for the Spurs, and total Houston hit 5 threes to the Spurs’ two within the quarter, which ended with the nice guys down 21-26.
The Spurs obtained themselves again collectively between quarters, opening the second on a 10-2 run, together with threes from Keldon Johnson, who had 13 factors within the half, and Wemby to briefly retake the lead, however the Rockets responded with a 7-0 run of their very own. It remained a sloppy sport for each groups with some wild passes, poor capturing and the lead going again in forth, however the Spurs went on a 9-0 run to shut the half because of threes from Zach Collins and Devin Vassell to guide 53-47. Most notably, it got here with out Wemby, who headed to the locker room with 5 minutes left after he was already a late addition to the sport as a consequence of a sore shoulder.
He returned to begin the second half, however the turd quarter made a return for the Spurs. He didn’t look fairly proper and needed to sit early along with his fourth foul, and Sengun had his method with 18 factors within the quarter whereas the Spurs struggled with turnovers. The closest factor they needed to a response was 9 factors from Vassell and 5 fast ones from Malaki Branham to assist shut the quarter on a 7-0 run to considerably thankfully solely be down solely 77-80.
Nonetheless, it was quick lived because the Rockets picked the depth proper again as much as begin the fourth and rapidly obtained the lead again out 9 whereas persevering with to trip Sengun. The Spurs briefly obtained again inside 4 on a 3 from Johnson to fall and quick break from Vassell, however that might be their solely glimmer of hope, as Houston at all times had a response and constantly held the lead round 10 factors for almost all of the fourth quarter, handing the Spurs the 101-114 loss that actually felt so much worse than the ultimate rating, though that was Houston’s largest lead of the night time.
Recreation Notes
Whether or not, he was gassed, hurting or fearing foul bother, that is actually a candidate for Wemby’s worst sport but (and hey, it occurs). Past his robust begin, he spent all the sport in foul bother, plus there was his unexplained exit to the locker room within the second quarter (a staffer mentioned after the sport that he was not harm), and he by no means regarded proper within the second half. He completed with simply 10 factors, all of which got here within the first half, together with 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and seven blocks. (Even in dangerous video games when he obtained completely owned a whole lot of the night time, he nonetheless will get his share of stuffs.)
Jeremy Sochan and Amen Thompson obtained right into a scuffle in third quarter when Thompson pushed Sochan on a rebound, Sochan tripped him as he lay on the courtroom (though it didn’t look as intentional because it was made out to be contemplating he was trying on the refs and didn’t carry his leg a lot, if in any respect), and the 2 shoved one another earlier than being seperated. After evaluation, the refs known as a flagrant 1 on Sochan for the journey and each obtained a technical for the scuffle, which thankfully allowed Sochan to remain within the sport. Spurs-Rockets video games are at all times chippy, and this one was no exception.
That is the third highway sport in a row that the Spurs have suffered from being extraordinarily sloppy with the ball, this time committing 18 turnovers after combining for simply 25 of their two dwelling wins. That led to twenty-eight factors off turnovers for the Rockets, and in comparison with simply 9 for the Spurs, that surpasses the distinction within the sport. It’s most likely a very good factor the Spurs welcome the Rockets to San Antonio in simply week; they’ll be searching for revenge and eager to get the dangerous style of this one out of their mouths no matter how the 2 video games in between go.
One factor the Spurs did do nicely was personal the bench minutes. They outscored the Rockets’ bench 50-23, getting 22 factors from Branham, who continues his late season surge, and 18 from Johnson. Cam Whitmore had nearly all of the Rockets bench factors with 19 (how he fell all the best way to them at twentieth within the draft stays a thriller). Regardless, whenever you permit a participant to go off like Sengun did whereas Fred VanVleet and Jalen Inexperienced additionally tipped in a mixed 44 factors, it doesn’t actually matter what the bench does if the starters can’t sustain.
Play of the Recreation
We’re going again to the very starting of the sport with about the one time Wemby obtained the higher of Sengun, blocking him on one finish and hitting what’s turning into a patented step-back three on the opposite.
Up subsequent: Thursday at Sacramento Kings
The Spurs may have one other probability to get their first victory towards the Kings on Thursday. They only would possibly stand an opportunity in the event that they don’t commit 20+ turnovers this time. Tip-off might be at 9:00 PM CT on Bally Sports activities.
