Coming off a three-game winning streak without Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and mostly Stephon Castle, the Spurs looked to start their west coast road trip with a victory. Their first stop? A rematch of the Phoenix Suns. What started as a rough shooting half for Phoenix, the Spurs actually looked like the more poised team, leading at half by seven. However, an old thorn in the Spurs’ side reared its ugly head. Once again, the Spurs watched a lead slip away in the third quarter and got outscored
by the Suns 37-24. Heading into the fourth, only down by six, the Spurs had a chance to make a comeback of their own. Unfortunately, just like the third quarter, the Suns started making their threes and stopped the silver and black’s comeback hopes. The Spurs ultimately lost 111-102.
De’Aaron Fox led the way with 26 points (14-16 FT), five rebounds, and three assists. De’Aaron shot five for eleven in the game, but found veteran ways to get to the free-throw line. He continues his hot streak of scoring at least 24+ points, and it sits at five straight games. He’ll have to continue to shoulder the scoring load for another week at least, unless Castle and/or Harper come back in time for NBA Cup play.
Splashtown. De’Aaron knocked down one of his two threes early on in the first quarter!
Devin Vassell dropped 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal. Dev shot five of thirteen from the field, including three of seven from three-point range. It’s an encouraging sign to see him being aggressive, but he’s shooting 40.5% from the field this season so far. If his efficiency doesn’t improve in the coming weeks, conversations might start happening.
Crafty! Jeremy Sochan finds Dev on the backdoor cut, and he finishes with a layup under the basket!
Keldon Johnson dropped 14 points, six rebounds, and two assists. KJ shot an efficient six of eight from the field, including two of three from deep. He continues to bring energy and hustle off the bench, but unfortunately, the spark was not on the defensive side.
Harrison Barnes dropped 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. HB shot five from eleven from the field, and left some points on the court by missing two threes. He showed some classic vet moves by showing off the deceleration in the paint, but he was not like his Mr. 100% self.
Julian Champagnie dropped a double-double: 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with an assist and a steal. Julian may have impressed on the glass, but he struggled from the field: (3-14 FG, 2-9 3PT). Just like Dev, Julian is now shooting just under 41% for the season. The difference between the two, however, is their contract situations.
Corner Specialist! Julian drains the corner three late in the first!
Another game, another slam! Luke Kornet fires off a no-look pass to Julian on the cut for the slam dunk!
Jeremy Sochan dropped seven points, five rebounds, and an assist. It was not the best night for Jeremy, as he finished with the worst plus-minus on the team with -17. Nonetheless, his perimeter defense still makes him a player worth playing. However, with the Spurs not extending his contract this offseason, he still has to prove himself every night.
Spin cycle! Jeremy spins off of Collin Gillespie and slams it home for two!
Carter Bryant dropped five points and three rebounds in eight minutes. He looked aggressive in key spots and showed off the finishing skills on the fastbreak! It’s still November, but Carter’s defense and finishing ability may earn him some more minutes later on in the season. Especially if he can knock down the three-ball at a consistent rate.
This game was a weird one. This was the first time since December 4th, 2022, that the Spurs finished a game with fewer than 20 assists. The streak was at 237 consecutive games and was the longest in NBA history. The third-quarter woes need to be addressed if this team wants to be taken seriously among playoff contenders. Even though the team has dealt with injuries, they still managed to hold a double-digit lead against a team that looks better than last year. Nonetheless, the goal this week is to stay afloat and wait for reinforcements.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs take on the Portland Trail Blazers in NBA Cup Group C play on Wednesday at 9:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.
