Coming off two tough losses versus the Golden State Warriors, the Spurs looked to get back on track with a win against the Sacramento Kings. Before the game, they learned that Victor Wembanyama would not play due to calf tightness. Nonetheless, the Spurs ventured on without him from the jump. After leading 36-24 after the first quarter, the Spurs never relinquished the lead, despite multiple short runs by the Kings. They had seven players finish in double figures in a 123-110 victory.
De’Aaron Fox
led the way against his former team with a double-double: 28 points and 11 assists to go along with two rebounds and a steal. This bounce-back game was needed after a rough fourth-quarter performance against the Warriors. Especially in Wemby’s absence, Fox drained most of his buckets in the first and the fourth. This performance also seemed to quiet the ‘trade Fox” crowd. To sum it up: De’Aaron diced up his former team in a revenge game.
Guard up! De’Aaron nails one of his four threes in stepback fashion over DeMar DeRozan!
Harrison Barnes dropped 20 points (7-11 FG), three assists, two rebounds, and two steals. A step-up from Saturday’s game, HB had himself a solid revenge game against his former team, just like Fox. If he keeps this pace up, HB might get invited to the three-point contest in February.
BUCKET. HB beats Dennis Schroder to the cup and finishes with patience!
Devin Vassell dropped 16 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Another bounce-back game for a Spurs shooter: Dev may have struggled from three, but he was punishing the Kings from the midrange and inside. He also showed off his playmaking ability with seven dimes, mainly due to his playing point guard when Stephon Castle injured his hip. Just like this explosive poster on Domantas Sabonis, never count out Dev’s sneaky athleticism!
Here’s another angle for your viewing pleasure.
Keldon Johnson dropped a double-double off the bench: 14 points and 12 rebounds to go along with a dime. KJ brought the spark plug with hustle and strong finishes. Every time he steps on the court, you can’t help but notice the energy he brings that lights the Frost Bank Center on fire. For example, he slammed home two double-clutch fastbreak jams that put daggers into the Kings!
Both of these times, KJ punishes the Kings’ lack of transition defense!
Rim-running demon on display!
Luke Kornet dropped a double-double in his first start for the Spurs: 13 points (5-5 FG) and 11 boards to go along with three blocks and a dime. Luke was efficient on both ends and stepped up for the silver and black without Wemby. Not only was he perfect from the field, but he swatted away three shots and protected the paint. This clearly still remains one of the more underrated free-agent signings off the offseason.
Second-chance points! Luke grabs the offensive board and finds a wide-open Steph Castle at the top of the key for three! Steph dropped four points, five assists, and a steal in 16 minutes (did not play the second half due to injury).
P&R Finisher! De’Aaron finds Luke for the alley-oop connection due to the excellent screen and roll!
Julian Champagnie dropped 12 points, two rebounds, and a steal. Just like Saturday, Julian dropped timely threes and played decent defense. It will be interesting to see if Castle misses time, because Julian would likely start in his place.
More second-chance points! Jeremy Sochan snatches the offensive board from former Spur Drew Eubanks and finds a wide-open Julian for three! Jeremy dropped 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He turned some heads by knocking down two threes with less of a hitch in his shot. If he continues to knock down those open threes consistently, his minutes must increase.
Another notable stat line: Kelly Olynyk dropped five points, eight assists, and six rebounds in his 18 minutes. The biggest takeaway from this victory: the Spurs handily took care of a team while being shorthanded. Even though De’Aaron shone in a revenge game, the whole team stepped up in Wemby’s absence. Besides seven players scoring in double figures, the team dished out a season-high 38 assists! Now sitting at 9-4, the Spurs await to see the health of Steph Castle and Dylan Harper down the line.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs take on the Memphis Grizzlies this Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on NBC/Peacock.
