Coming off an impressive win against the Houston Rockets, the Spurs traveled to Charlotte to face off against the Hornets. Due to inclement weather, tipoff was moved up to 11:00 A.M. (CST). After the Spurs outscored the Hornets 30-26 in the first quarter, San Antonio completely imploded in the second. They had a seven-point lead with 9:31 remaining in the half when Charlotte went on a blistering 20-4 run, outscored the Spurs 35-17 in the quarter, and led by as much as 18. However, the Spurs still
managed to claw their way back. They shrank the deficit to 10 at the end of the third, and got within two in the last five minutes of the game. When the Hornets tried to extend their lead, the Spurs responded with buckets and free throws of their own. Unfortunately, the Spurs could not tie the game. After winning a coach’s challenge and winning a jump ball with 36 seconds left down by 3, Victor Wembanyama missed the game-tying three and the Spurs lost 111-106.
Dylan Harper was sensational, leading the team with 20 points (9-13 FG, 2-3 3PT) and adding two assists, one rebound, a steal, and a block in just 23 minutes off the bench. He scored from the three, the midrange, and inside the paint, shooting 69% from the field. Harper did all his damage in the first three quarters, logging no playing time over the final 10 minutes.
HARP3R! Dyl knocks down the first of his two threes from the top of the key!
MAKE WAY FOR FLIGHT #2! After the block and rebound by Keldon Johnson, he threads the needle to Dyl, who has himself a wide-open jam!
Silky smooth. Dyl uses the screen and pulls up for the open middy!
Stephon Castle dropped 16 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and a block. Despite turning the ball over three times, Steph was one of three Spurs who finished in the plus side of the plus/minus stat. He was one assist away from a double-double and made an impact on defense. Look for him to continue to work on the turnover problem.
AREA 51 in reverse! Wemby finds a cutting Steph who throws it down!
Victor Wembanyama dropped 16 points, eight rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Despite the near double-double, this was not Vic’s best game. He struggled from the field with questionable shot selection, but even when the shot selection wasn’t the issue, he could not execute. Nonetheless, Vic has had his small share of underwhelming performances this season, so look for him to get back on track against the Magic.
Just throw it up there! Dyl and Wemby run the pick and roll, and Dyl manages to throw a perfect pass for the alley-oop while stumbling!
UNSTOPPABLE! One of Vic’s specialties is dunking the ball immediately after a catch. Vic and De’Aaron Fox run the give and go, and the result is a jam from the middle of the paint!
Julian Champagnie dropped 13 points (4-6 3PT), five rebounds, two blocks, and a dime. After shooting 10% the last two games, Julian was on fire from three. He shot 66.7% percent and continues to be an underrated defender. Two blocks is nothing to sneeze at, and he’ll look to continue lighting baskets on fire.
AND-ONE! Julian drains the transition three while getting fouled for the four-point play!
HE’S ON FIRE! Julian knocks down his fourth triple from the corner in transition!
Devin Vassell dropped 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. Dev made his first start since December 29th and finished with the highest plus/minus of the team with +7. He shot 50% from the field, and he is still shaking some rust off since his injury. Nonetheless, look for him to light baskets on fire with Julian in the starting lineup. He can still lace the net from the corner!
De’Aaron Fox dropped 11 points, seven assists, two rebounds, and two steals. D-Fox struggled from the field and did not provide his usual scoring punch. Nonetheless, he dished dimes like Steph when his shot wasn’t falling. He also pickpocketed LaMelo Ball and created points off turnovers. He’ll have a tough matchup coming against Orlando, but the former all-star will find a way to create offense.
SWIPA! D-Fox picks Ball’s pocket and leads the fastbreak with a lob to Steph, who throws it down!
Too quick! D-Fox goes to work on Grant Williams and finishes at the rim!
This was a tough loss to stomach. Despite falling behind by 20, this team still fought and closed the gap. It looked like it was heading towards the end of the Rockets game, but late-game execution faltered. Anytime you face a team riding a hot win streak, especially on the road, you have to take the lead and never look back. It will be interesting to see the starting lineup without Harrison Barnes over the next few games before the All-Star break. The next one on the docket: Orlando coming for their revenge.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs face a quick turnaround as they wait out the snowstorm in Charlotte. They will face the Orlando Magic at home later tonight at 6:00 P.M. (CST).
