The Spurs, missing Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell, took care of business in their visit to Indiana. While only intermittently playing good basketball, they still managed to hand the Pacers their 11th
loss in a row. Dylan Harper had one of the best games of his young career in the 123-113 win, dazzling on his way to 22 points in 15 shots.
The shorthanded Spurs didn’t get off to a good start. The offense was too lackadaisical, with the ball handlers struggling to get to their spots against solid defense and the shooters hesitating. The ball didn’t move enough or with much purpose and a few too many possessions ended in last resort one-on-one plays. The Pacers, on the other hand, executed well and found consistent scoring from Andrew Nembhard. It wasn’t long before the hosts found themselves with a lead. Fortunately, the second unit came in with more energy on both ends and stopped the bleeding. Neither team could keep the other out of the paint and San Antonio took advantage of that to get their attack going. After one, and despite not playing particularly well, the Silver and Black trailed by only one.
The offense looked much better in the second quarter, boosted by Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox, who came alive after a quiet opening frame. The guards were getting to the rim and hitting jumpers while the Pacers’ defense struggled to find answers. Indiana went to a zone but the Spurs busted it with a couple of threes and started to create separation. Pascal Siakam was a problem, but turnovers plagued the home team, and they couldn’t keep San Antonio off the offensive glass, giving the Silver and Black a huge advantage in shot attempts. With the guards leading the way, balanced scoring from the rest of the rotation players, and a 16-0 edge on second chance points, the visitors went into the break up 13.
The third-quarter letdown seemed inevitable, considering the absences and the fact that it’s not uncommon for the Spurs to play down to their opponents. Some solid defense and great Harper play only delayed it. Eventually, the threes stopped falling, with San Antonio going 0-for-12 in the frame. Stephon Castle tried to make things happen, but ended up driving into traffic and coughing the ball up or not getting an advantage. The defense got a little lax, and there were still no answers for Siakam, who dominated. Making matters worse, the Pacers stopped turning the ball over and did a better job on the offensive glass, so the extra possessions just weren’t there. Indiana was simply the better team for 12 minutes and headed into the fourth down eight and brimming with confidence.
Fortunately, the Spurs have been able to wake up before it’s too late in most games against inferior teams, and they did it again on Friday. Great contributions from Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper helped the offense get going. The offensive rebounding returned and Indiana, despite at times running some beautiful offense, made some mistakes that cost them scoring possessions. To their credit, the Pacers didn’t give up and cut the lead to just eight with 2:33 to go by playing the same level of disruptive defense that befuddled San Antonio in the first quarter, but a dagger three from Fox demoralized them, and the comeback attempt mostly ended there. It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but a win on the road without two starters is nothing to scoff at, no matter the opponent.
Game notes
- The Spurs’ guards once again led the way with Wembanyama out. Fox, Castle and Harper combined for 65 points and 13 assists. Fox didn’t have it going from outside until that long three that got the lead back to double digits late, but was great at scoring inside the arc, both at the rim and on short jumpers. Castle missed a lot of shots at the rim, but got to the line and dished dimes and, like Fox, helped rebound. Harper didn’t facilitate much but was fantastic as a scorer. They all complemented each other well.
- Julian Champagnie, fresh off a record-setting outside shooting night against the Knicks, went 2-for-11 from beyond the arc. In his defense, no one on the starting lineup really had it going. The Spurs as a team missed 33 of their 46 outside shots, and seven of their 13 makes came from bench players. They still made one more three-pointer than the Pacers, which only attempted 30.
- Luke Kornet was serviceable as a starter once again. That’s not a surprise anymore, but Kelly Olynyk playing well enough as his backup to get 20 minutes was. Olynyk is a terrible rim protector but a smart team defender and a versatile offensive player, and he showed off those skills, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. More importantly, the Spurs outscored the Pacers with him on the floor.
- Mitch Johnson went for some surprising matchups. Stephon Castle guarded Siakam and did what he could with the assignment. Off the bench, Carter Bryant guarded Jay Huff while Olynyk hid on Johny Furphy. The Spurs would have probably beaten the Pacers with other configurations, but it’s good to see the coaching staff taking even struggling opponents seriously while strategizing.
- The Vassell absence opened up some minutes for Lindy Waters III, who hit two threes, grabbed three boards, and logged an assist on 14 minutes of play. The Spurs outscored the Pacers by a whopping 21 points with him on the floor. Waters played four more minutes than Carter Bryant, who continues to not look ready for a rotation spot.
- Keldon Johnson’s Sixth Man of the Year case gets stronger every game. He finished with 16 points and six boards and hit three three-pointers in the fourth, which were crucial to securing the win.
Play of the game
Harper’s handles had Aaron Nesmith, a great defender, looking clueless.
Next game: vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday
The Spurs will travel back to San Antonio to face the Blazers. Both teams will be in the second game of a back-to-back.
