Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs failed in Houston (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs couldn’t do enough to achieve their first three-game winning streak of the season. Instead, the Spurs fell to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night by a final tally of 114-101. San Antonio is now 13-49.
The Spurs got off to a bit of a slow start and trailed 26-21 at the end of the first quarter. However, the Good played very well in the second half to take a 53-47 halftime lead.
Unfortunately, San Antonio’s grip on the game began to wane in the final six minutes of the third quarter. In the fourth, Spurs gave a good effort but they could never put together a sustained run.
Stats: Spurs vs. Rockets
Spurs at Rockets – Final Ratings
Victor Wembanyama
It was a difficult night at Wembanyama’s office. Entering the game, he was listed as questionable due to shoulder soreness. During the match, he apparently injured his ankle. Wembanyama has also, unusually, struggled with foul trouble. Add it all together and the results weren’t pretty. Alperen Sengun, the player the rookie primarily defended, finished with a career-high 45 points. Wembanyama was not much better on the other side of the field. In the second half, he didn’t even attempt a shot. Hopefully Wembanyama can bounce back soon after a match in which he clearly wasn’t himself.
Grade: D
Devin Vassell
Vassell led the Spurs with 22 points, but he didn’t make much of an impact. He needed 19 shots to score 22 points, missed all but one of his five three-pointers and finished with as many assists (3) as turnovers. I thought Vassell’s shot selection was pretty good, although he had to force a handful of attempts due to the Rockets’ strong defense. Defensively, he did a good job on the boards and had positive possessions – but he didn’t make a noticeable difference on that end.
Category B-
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan was in the middle of a lot of the action but he wasn’t playing particularly well. He made only one of six three-pointers and – even worse – he was hesitant to shoot them. The Rockets ignored Sochan behind the three-point line; he must make the defenses pay for this lack of respect. He was better inside the arc but remained too wild and inconsistent across the board offensively. Defensively, Sochan put in a good effort but his impact was minimal.
Grade: C-
Tre Jones
I don’t know if Jones is injured, tired, or just showing his true colors, but he hasn’t done a good job lately of making the case that he should continue to start. Offensively, he just doesn’t do enough. It helps that he takes care of the ball and makes the simple passes that need to be made – but he doesn’t do enough. He missed all three of his three-point attempts and didn’t get into the paint often enough. Defensively, Jones struggled to slow down anyone he faced.
Grade: D+
Julien Champagnie
Champagnie was back in the starting lineup after missing one game with a sprained ankle. It seemed like he came back too quickly. Champagnie let in wide open shots – almost to the point of comicality. He had trouble moving his feet on defense or running the court in transition.
Grade: D-
Keldon Johnson
This match was a step in the right direction for Johnson. He attacked with vigor and led the Spurs with six free throw attempts. He chose his positions carefully from beyond the three-point arc and was 3 of 5 from deep. His finishing could have been much better but he missed due to a lack of tenacity. Defensively, he was more locked in than usual and he helped with the rebounding.
Grade: B+
Malaki Branham
It could be argued that Branham was the main reason the Spurs weren’t eliminated. The second-year guard has been playing really well lately. In Houston, he scored 20 points in 26 minutes coming off the bench. His three-point shot continues to look good, he scored on aggressive drives to the hoop and made something out of nothing on several occasions. Defensively, he is no longer a pushover. In all facets, Branham presents a good basketball IQ. Good product.
Grade: A
Zach Collins
The good: Collins has had a pretty big impact on interior defense, especially compared to his teammates. His rebound was better. Offensively, he knocked down a slick-looking three-pointer and set up effective screens. The bad: Three turnovers in 18 minutes? It’s too much. Collins also didn’t provide his usual punch. Overall: This was a better than average outing for San Antonio’s backup center.
Category B
Cedi Osman
Osman stubbornly found a way to score in his 15 minutes. He also rebounded well, ran the court and never lacked power. Defensively, it was more misses than hits – but he was a little better than what we’ve seen from him recently.
Category B
Blake Wesley
Defensively, Wesley applied a lot of pressure. His efforts on that end caused the Rockets to pay attention to him. Offensively, Wesley was really good at making plays and passing the ball. The result was five assists and no turnovers in just 12 minutes. Unfortunately, his inability to score the ball hampered what could have been a very good outing. Wesley must attack the basket and look to finish – both in transition sets and in the half court.
Category B
Popular
Pop mixing things up on Sengun might have been helpful. Instead, the Spurs played predictably on defense and the Rockets figured it out time and time again. I also thought Pop should have had a quicker run-in with Wembanyama. The rookie was obviously working – playing him 31 minutes given the circumstances was unwise.
Grade: D-
