The highest game total in the 2005 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons was Game 5 with the Spurs winning 96-95. The Silver and Black won that nail biter on a go-ahead, clutch three-point shot by none other than Robert Horry. Tim Duncan had 26 points and 19 rebounds along with 2 assists and 2 blocks.
On Monday night in the year of our Lord and franchise savior Victor Wembanyama, the upstart Spurs and Pistons were able to hit the mid ‘90s total with 5 minutes left in the 4th
quarter. The over/under was projected at 232.5, so odds makers and bettors were probably hoping for more of that sweet modern basketball rather than that grit and grind like we saw way back when the national media was so “bored” with the 2005 Finals that they started making sideline reporters grill Eva Longoria into revealing major plot twists on “Desperate Housewives.”
Regardless, the Spurs and Pistons gave us a nice preview of a heavyweight bout between two of the high ranked teams from their respective conferences. The Pistons, in particular, have never wavered from their embedded DNA of tough basketball, and the Spurs, as they tend to do, do not stray from their heritage of prioritizing defense.
Devin Vassell led all players with 28 points on a scorching 7 – 11 shooting from downtown. Victor Wembanyama poured in 21 points, pulled down 17 rebounds, and had 6 blocks.
Devin Vassell was simply seeing an ocean inside of an ocean inside of an ocean every time he let loose a shot from deep. For the season, he’s shooting 37% from long range as he continues to stack together games played. The Spurs are a deep team, but it especially works when vets like Vassell can stay on the floor and take advantage of the orbit of defenders around Wembanyama.
Do you think Wembanyama has ever had a slice of pizza from Little Caesar’s? He seems the type that would enjoy one of their Crazy Puffs (cupcake-sized pizzas). That being said, I am not sure if his body has ever been introduced to grease before so it might be a shock to his system.
Like a perfectly blended amalgam of marinara sauce, cheese, and more cheese, the Spurs seem to have finally melded together as a team that moves in sync where each player could be blindfolded but still find their teammates anywhere on the floor.
It’s easy to forget (at least for me) that the Spurs have the number 2 overall pick playing off the bench, and the kid has flashed his talent multiple times this season. Their cup runneths over with potential.
Speaking of things easy to forget (for me at least, I’m getting old), it’s also easy to forget that the Spurs also have the number 14 overall pick playing off the bench. The players mentioned after this game how cohesive the offense played. This particular play demonstrates how the team also played complete basketball on both ends with Carter Bryant blocking a shot attempt, running up the floor to space out the Pistons’ defense so that he can easily find a streaking Keldon Johnson for the bucket.
I wanted to highlight this specific play where Stephon Castle found a hole in the defense and casually walked his way to an open dunk because otherwise Castle seems to have an understated Dwyane Wade style to his game. That is, once or twice a game, you’ll see him sacrifice his body and take a hard tumble to the floor. He’s explosive and uber athletic in his own right, but where you saw peak Wade flying down the floor doing acrobatic feats, Castle’s style of play seems more measured until suddenly it isn’t. It’s a slight contradiction that I thoroughly enjoy watching.
Wembanyama’s block was impressive, but I was just as impressed by his patience waiting for the shooter to see if he was going to pump fake or drive.
I think Wembanyama just invented the block off the glass to himself for a rebound move. Consequently, Castle’s jumper also looks pretty smooth. I’m just tingling watching this team.
Don’t adjust your 55 inch, $300 television (can you believe how cheap TVs are now??), this play below is not a duplicate of the previous play embedded above. Sure, Wembanyama blocked another shot off the glass, and Castle and Vassell have the same hair style and smooth-as-molasses jumper, but this one went to Vassell.
Former President Barack Obama recently said there’s no aliens in Area 51. Mayhaps the former POTUS should look in San Antonio where we have our own Area 51 aliens. And let’s be honest with ourselves, if extra terrestrials are going to visit us, most likely they want a taste of our greatest resource: tacos.
I also have to mention that Robinson had 13 points and 3 rebounds in only 26 minutes. No, not that Robinson. But Duncan did play 26 minutes and racked up 5 assists. No, not that Duncan either. Every team needs shooting, and I need the Spurs to one day sign Duncan Robinson and have him wear a stitched jersey of both the last names of Tim Duncan and David Robinson—he can be the only player in the league with his first and last name on his jersey so we all can briefly relive the glory days.
Sending everyone out with the fond message that the gnomes are out of bounds:
If you missed the game because you were too busy binging seasons 1 and 2 of Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives (the only two you need to binge), here are the full-game highlights:
Next up, the Spurs head up north to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, February 24, 2026.
