SAN ANTONIO — — Fred VanVleet scored 21 points and the Houston Rockets held off Victor Wembanyama to beat the San Antonio Spurs 103-101 on Tuesday night.
San Antonio cut the lead to 99-98 with 19 seconds remaining on Jeremy Sochan’s three-point play after a missed three-pointer by Wembanyama. But Houston managed to stay ahead at the foul line.
“I feel like we followed the game plan until the last minute,” Rockets guard Dillon Brooks said. “We wanted to foul and not let them shoot at the rim, have them win at the free throw line.”
Houston earned its fourth straight road victory and is five games behind Golden State for 10th place in the Western Conference.
Wembanyama finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists after a sluggish start.
“I wish we played it again,” Brooks said.
Wembanyama finished 5 of 12 from the field as Houston threw multiple double and triple teams at him while using undersized defenders such as Brooks and Jae’Sean Tate.
“The physicality, the energy,” Wembanyama said of the struggles he faced offensively. “Every night it’s a challenge, but they’re a very aggressive team defensively, so that’s the hardest.”
Tre Jones had 22 points and Sochan added 21 as San Antonio lost for the fourth time in five games.
At 14-52, San Antonio must finish at least 7-9 to avoid matching the franchise’s worst record of 20-62 set in 1997.
Jalen Green had 16 points and Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 for the Rockets, including seven players who scored at least eight points.
The Rockets were without Alperen Sengun, who recorded a career-high 45 points and five blocks along with a game-high 16 rebounds in a 114-101 victory over the Spurs on March 5. Sengun is out indefinitely after suffering a right ankle injury. and knee against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Jones tied a career high with four 3-pointers, all in the first half. He finished 4 of 7 from 3-point range and was held to six points in the second half.
“Tre is a consummate competitor,” Popovich said. “He’s going to do everything he can to win a game. As simple as that. That’s what he does. He is at his best night after night. He will do whatever needs to be done.
Jones’ production was needed with Keldon Johnson out with a stomach ailment and Wembanyama and Devin Vassell having off nights.
Wembanyama and Vassell, the team’s leading scorers, went 2 for 7 and had two points each with two minutes left in the third quarter. Vassell finished with five points and Wembanyama had 11 in the final 14 minutes of the game.
“When you have a guy like Wembanyama, we feel like we have three, four really solid defenders that we can play against him,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “Guys that are undersized and can kind of get up to him and knock him out of his spot. (Tate) came in and did some of the same things Dillon was doing.
Vassell was fouled on an inside play with four seconds left before he was able to make a potential 3-pointer to tie the game. Vassell made the first free throw, then deliberately missed the second, which Amen Thompson rebounded to seal the victory.
“It’s something we’ve worked on and done several times this year,” Udoka said. “It worked well for us. You want to take away the one shot that can (match) us and our denials were really good.
The Spurs took a 10-point lead to open the game, but the Rockets went on an 8-0 run as soon as Wembanyama went to the bench to rest.
The Spurs will face Denver on Friday in a home game in Austin in regional action.
FOLLOWING
Rockets: Host Washington on Thursday night.
Spurs: Host Denver Friday night in Austin.
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