Spurs take care of business against shorthanded Wizards

One great quarter was all it took to beat Washington and extend the winning streak to six in the regular season.

Summarized by AI ⓘ

What is the story about?

The Spurs now have the second-best record in the West and are on a six-game winning streak in the regular season after beating the Wizards 124-113. A great second quarter was enough for San Antonio to create a massive lead that a severely shorthanded Washington team fought hard to overcome, but fell short. Victor Wembanyama came off the bench once again and finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 22 minutes.

It was not a pretty start to the game, as the Wizards, missing

key players and on the second game of back-to-back, simply lacked the talent to execute and gain advantages consistently in the half-court, and the Spurs seemed understandably complacent against a bad and wounded opponent. Both the energy and the level of play were low for both teams. Amid the general sloppiness, Tristan Vukcevic emerged as Washington’s best available weapon. The big man hit some outside shots and competed inside, leading the way on offense. Luke Kornet responded with some paint buckets, and Harrison Barnes looked better than he had in a while, but San Antonio looked listless even with Victor Wembanyama on the court. After one, the Silver and Black trailed by two.

Earlier in the season, it would have been concerning to see the Spurs play down to their opponent’s level, but recently, the healthier version of the team has seemingly found its killer instinct. De’Aaron Fox ended the first with a couple of baskets and came out firing to start the second. Stephon Castle joined in, and suddenly getting buckets stopped being a problem for San Antonio. The defensive intensity increased a little, and that was enough to keep a very limited Washington offense in check. Mitch Johnson went big, with Kelly Olynyk getting major minutes next to Victor Wembanyama, giving his squad an edge in size to go with the major one it had in talent. No matter what the Wizards tried on defense, it just didn’t work. Heading into the break, the Spurs led by 20.

It would have been great to see the same intensity in the second half, but it understandably wasn’t there. The Wizards deserve plenty of credit for pushing the pace, playing physical defense, and hitting tough shots, but San Antonio made things easier by looking complacent and managing the lead instead of trying to grow it. While the game didn’t get much prettier in the third, it at least got more fun to watch, as Washington’s guards made threes and played fast while a small unit held its own against one and at times two traditional centers. As mentioned, the Spurs only did what was necessary to keep their opponents at bay, alternating between well-executed plays on both ends and unforced errors or lack of energy. After three, the lead was 12.

The win never really seemed in peril, even though Washington tried its best to complete a second major comeback in as many days, after shocking the Grizzlies on Saturday. The Wizards simply didn’t have enough bodies to sustain the frantic pace on offense and protect the paint on defense, especially with some key players in foul trouble. The feisty underdogs got the lead down to single digits a few times and actually won the frame by one, but never got closer than nine points. Wembanyama also sat the entire quarter, which shows the Spurs were confident they could escape with a victory even while saving their superstars’ legs. It wasn’t a great effort, but it was enough for San Antonio to beat a bottom-dweller missing several rotation players and get to 21-7 for the season.

Game notes:

With Alex Sarr and Marvin Bagley III out, the Spurs’ centers had a field day. Luke Kornet finished with a season-high 20 points to go with 12 rebounds. Wemby had 14 and 12 in limited minutes. Even Kelly Olynyk gave the team good minutes on two-center lineups. San Antonio finished with 20 offensive boards, 32 second-chance points, and 56 points in the paint. The size advantage was a major factor in the win, except for the third quarter, in which a small Wizards unit caused some trouble.
Devin Vassell had a quiet game and Harrison Barnes faded as the minutes passed. Their contributions were enough against the Wizards, but the Spurs will need more from them against better opponents. The two upcoming Thunder matchups should be good tests for the starting unit, assuming Wemby takes Kornet’s place.
The starting guards had good games. De’Aaron Fox continues to hit threes at an unprecedented level for his standards, connecting on five of his seven attempts. Stephon Castle brute-forced his way into a double-double by getting to the line to make up for a poor shooting night. Their production is always hugely important, but it was crucial on a night in which Dylan Harper looked like a rookie, finishing 0-for-8 from the floor. The depth at guard remains a major strength.
Olynyk was booed by the Washington crowd because of an incident he had with Kelly Oubre in 2017. He’s also hated in Cleveland for injuring Kevin Love. It’s honestly impressive that a relatively obscure role player can elicit that level of persistent dislike from two fanbases.
Julian Champagnie’s family was in the crowd to watch his battle with his brother Justin. Unfortunately, neither could put on a show. Julian went 1-for-6 from the floor and Justin 2-for-6 in the loss.
Keldon Johnson’s non-stop energy stands out in games in which some of his teammates don’t seem to play with urgency. Johnson almost got a double-double by playing harder than anyone.