A house sport towards the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder represented Mitch Johnson’s tenth sport as a San Antonio Spurs interim head coach. A few of these competitions had been marked by incredible particular person performances, similar to Victor Wembanyama’s 50-point explosionand blowouts towards good groups, like a 20-point efficiency towards the Sacramento Kings. However perhaps none had been so satisfying like Tuesday’s triumph 110-104 towards OKC.
ClutchPoints requested Johnson this identical query.
“It’s a really good victory. With out fail. It is nice when you could have a bunch of fellows that really feel like they participated and I feel everybody seems like they participated in successful,” the 37-year-old coach mentioned of from an effort that didn’t embody Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan resulting from accidents.
“It’s an excellent win towards an excellent staff.”
Spurs maintain on for giant win
Regardless that they had been lacking a key piece with Chet Holmgren out resulting from damage, Oklahoma Metropolis entered the sport with an 11-3 report. Now 12-4, the Thunder sit atop the Western Convention standings. It is no shock that they almost erased a 21-point deficit towards the short-handed Spurs.
“They clearly elevated the stress. We knew they had been going to make a run and we would have liked guys to make performs and these guys stepped up. [We] I had some shaky positions in assault and that is powerful on this league for 48 minutes,” Johnson continued of his opponent.
“It is a lengthy sport and we took our heels for a short time, in all probability misplaced our rhythm and weren’t as decisive within the center to finish of the fourth quarter and I feel these guys nailed it excellent pictures.”
Johnson added that his offense additionally made key pictures down the stretch.
“I guess once we take a look at these possessions, we had just a little higher spacing, just a little extra decisive robust drives and we did not allow them to get on our heels.”
“I believed we did an excellent job of weathering their storm and we made simply sufficient performs to remain forward sufficient to get some respiration room.”
A complete staff effort
Associated San Antonio Spurs InformationArticle continues under
Keldon Johnson led all San Antonio scorers with 22 factors towards OKC. Harrison Barnes added 20. They had been among the many Spurs’ seven, together with all 5 starters, two digits.
“Identify them,” Johnson responded when requested which gamers carried out properly amid the staff’s accidents.
“I feel as a bunch they’re motivated,” Johnson added. “I simply suppose they trusted the sport plan even when it faltered at instances.”
“Good groups make pictures and I believed they did an excellent job of not flinching after they made some pictures and doubtless relaxed our sport plan just a little bit and continued to attempt to shut out the paint and visitors lanes,” the Spurs star mentioned. » continued the coach. “They’ve two guys there [Shai] Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams who’re actually onerous to protect out of the paint.
Though Wemby and Vassell are believed to be struggling extra from “bumps and bruises” than precise accidents, it seems the Silver and Black will play at the least yet another sport with out them.
