Coming off a hard-fought victory versus the Houston Rockets, the Spurs took on the New Orleans Pelicans in a SEGABABA. The Pelicans had six key players on their injury report, and De’Aaron Fox finally
returned from injury. With that being said, it sounds like an incoming blowout, right? Guess again. Except for a key run in the second quarter, the Pelicans surprisingly kept pace with the silver and black. Trey Murphy III dropped a career-high 41 points, and rookie Derik Queen turned some heads as well. Anytime the Spurs looked to pull away with a double-digit lead, the Pelicans closed the gaps and even got within a one-possession game in the final minute. Luckily for the Spurs, Fox sank a dagger middy, and the Spurs secured the 126-119 dub. A season-high eight players finished in double figures. A true team win indeed!
De’Aaron Fox led the way in his season debut with 24 points (9-14 FG), three assists, three rebounds, and a steal. Man, oh man, De’Aaron’s offensive impact is clearly elevating the team’s potential. This is why you don’t trade a player of his caliber away, especially before he even plays a game. His speed is unmatched and helps other players on the floor, especially Victor Wembanyama, with spacing.
PUT HIM ON SKATES! Fox puts Herbert Jones on his heels with the stepback three!
Defense to offense! After Wemby rejects Derik Queen at the rim, chaos ensues, and Fox takes the pass on the fastbreak from Keldon Johnson for the easy midrange!
Victor Wembanyama dropped a double-double: 18 points and 18 rebounds to go along with three blocks, three assists, and a steal. While not the most efficient game from Wemby, he showed aggressiveness by attempting nine threes. He also dominated the glass and got some easy points in the paint off of lobs and close shots. Spurs fans are going to love seeing Fox and Wemby run more pick and rolls.
Lob City Finisher! Area 51 is activated after Stephon Castle finds Vic for the easy fastbreak lob!
ALIEN ALERT! Wemby catches the ball at the three-point line and quickly gets to the paint with his long strides and cocks it back for the jam!
AREA 51 Part 2: Castle finds Wemby for another lob, but Vic decides to reverse slam it home!
Stephon Castle dropped another double-double: 14 points and 14 assists to go along with four rebounds and a steal. Steph was dropping absolute dimes in back-to-back games. He had seven assists in the first quarter alone! He is quickly establishing himself as a lob city passer. He even cut down on his usual high number of turnovers. The Fox/Castle duo will sneakily become one of the best backcourts in the West.
WHAT A PASS! We’ve already seen Castle drop dimes, but how about the crazy bounce pass from Jeremy Sochan on the fastbreak? Steph finishes the play with ease!
Devin Vassell dropped 16 points, two rebounds, and a block. His efficiency slightly increased thanks to the spacing provided by Fox’s inclusion in the starting lineup. While he shot six of thirteen from the field, he hit four of eight from three-point land. He now returns to playing small forward, as he did for most of last season.
Harrison Barnes dropped 15 points (6-8 FG), (3-5 3PT), and two rebounds. Another solid game from HB, as he continues to shoot unconsciously from three. Solid veteran presence keeps him in the starting lineup for now.
Julian Champagnie dropped 14 points, two assists, and a board off the bench. Fox replaced Champagnie in the starting lineup, but it did not faze his performance one bit. He also played for nearly 26 minutes, so Mitch Johnson will still rely on him in key moments.
Keldon Johnson dropped a near double-double in another solid outing: 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Keldon might be the most underrated offensive rebounder in the league. He brought the juice off the bench once again and filled in spots on offense with ease. Simply get out of Big Body’s way!
Even though there were tense moments, the squad still pulled out the win. A 7-2 start is an amazing early preview for the season. Once the offense fully adjusts to Fox’s presence and allows him to take control, this team will continue to soar to new heights! Luke Kornet is expected to return in the coming week, which will take pressure off Wemby. Another early test might get the blood flowing for this scrappy squad against a surprising Chicago Bulls team.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs hit the road to take on the Chicago Bulls on Monday at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.
