Coming off a loss to the Utah Jazz, the Spurs looked to get back on the winning track versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. De’Aaron Fox made his return to the lineup, so the Spurs played at full strength. After a tough and gritty first half, the Spurs entered the third quarter with a six-point lead. The grittiness was alive and well in the third, with both teams struggling to buy a bucket. The Cavs cut the Spurs’ lead to just two entering the fourth. However, that is when the script flipped. The Cavs went
on an early 8-0 run in the fourth to take a five-point lead. The lead ballooned to 12 with around five minutes remaining, the Spurs continued to struggle shooting the ball, and it became simply too much to overcome. The Cavs outscored the Spurs 37-23 in the quarter and defeated the Spurs 113-101.
Victor Wembanyama led the way with a double-double: 26 points and 14 rebounds to go along with three assists, one block, and one steal. Vic’s efficiency dropped just a tad, thanks to missed dunks and missed jumpers. Nonetheless, Vic had more presence on the boards and worked tirelessly on both ends of the floor. One has to wonder when Vic’s minutes restriction will be lifted. Especially considering how winnable games continue to slip away despite his performances.
OFF THE GLASS OOP! Stephon Castle picks off Darius Garland, runs the fastbreak, and throws it off the glass for a trailing Wemby slam!
ONE-LEGGED! Vic catches the ball in motion with a one-legged three!
AREA 51 strikes again! Wemby sets a slip screen and catches the Castle lob for the slam!
Stephon Castle dropped 15 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and a steal. It was once again not the most efficient game from Steph, but more importantly, he turned the ball over five times. He can still dish dimes as a combo guard, but the growing pains are still prevalent for the 21-year-old. It is also worth mentioning that he has one of the worst whistles in the league. Nonetheless, Steph will continue to rise above the noise.
Perfection! Steph finds Luke Kornet wide-open rolling to the paint for the lob jam! Luke dropped 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block.
Fighting through contact! Steph slashes his way into the paint and finishes through two Cavs!
De’Aaron Fox returned from injury and dropped 14 points, three assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Notice the pattern here: Another player who had an inefficient game. D-Fox was missing open shots and was still adjusting to returning after a one-game absence. Look for him to help kick the offense back in rhythm and be the scorer this team needs.
Crafty and tricky! D-Fox fakes the pass to Wemby and finishes off the glass in the paint for two!
Dylan Harper dropped 11 points, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Dyl showed off his finishing prowess to go along with a three, but also struggled with four turnovers. The talented rookie is still adjusting to the different defenses that teams throw at him. The Spurs having another talented young guard with growing pains is something fans have to be patient with.
Transition three! Dyl finds a wide-open Julian Champagnie on the fastbreak for the splash! Julian finished with seven points, six rebounds, and a steal.
SPIN CYCLE! Dyl shows off the spin move on DPOY Evan Mobley and finishes with silky layup!
What a rollercoaster this team is riding: From going from the high of defeating OKC back-to-back to dropping two winnable games at home. They locked down Donovan Mitchell, with him scoring a season-low 10 points, but allowed Jarrett Allen to score a season-high of 27 points. Before a losing streak develops, this team must decide which version of the Spurs they want to be, especially if they aspire to be playoff contenders. With several shooters going on cold streaks, they must also decide which version of themselves they want to be. A revenge game is coming versus New York at home, and it will prove to be another test of this young team.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs take on the New York Knicks in a rematch of the NBA Cup Final on New Year’s Eve at 6:00 P.M. (CST) on NBATV/FDSN-SW.
