Spurs get much needed win in Washington to stop Rodeo Road Trip skid

Today at 10:30 PM

Despite some troubling trends continuing, the Spurs took care of business after two straight heart-breakers.

Coming off three straight one-point games, including two straight losses to inferior and/or struggling opponents, the San Antonio Spurs were desperate to not just get a win, but also see it happen without too much heartburn. While it was far from a perfect game, and we still saw several disturbing trends rear they're ugly heads, the Washington Wizards were the perfect opponent to make it happen, and the Spurs managed to righten the ship in the fourth quarter for a relatively comfortable win.

The Spurs started a little slow, getting down 10-6 early, but then they got hot. Kicked off by a Devin Vassell four-point play, the Spurs went on a 22-0 run that featured Victor Wembanyama — who scored 50 points with 8 made threes the last time these two teams played — scoring 11 straight points, including hitting three straight threes. Overall, Wemby scored 14 points in the quarter, but not too surprisingly, the Wizards won the non-Wemby minutes, and they were able to cut what had been an 18-point Spurs lead down to 10, 40-30, by the end of the first quarter.

The Spurs' struggles with protecting double-digit leads continued as Washington started the second quarter on 13-2 run to retake the lead while the Spurs' offense was stagnant. Fortunately for them, the Wizards cooled off a bit, and things remained close throughout. Even so, despite Washington missing Alex Sarr, the familiar issue of the Spurs giving up too many offensive rebounds prevented them from going on any kind of run of their own, but they led 66-63 at the half thanks to a Chris Paul three right before the buzzer.

Both teams continued trading the lead in the third quarter, with Harrison Barnes being the main source of offense for the Spurs early with 8 points before the bench unit finally created some separation thanks to the energy of Jeremy Sochan. They even managed to briefly stretch the lead back to 10, but of course, the curse of the double-digit lead immediately kicked in, as the Spurs turned it over three times in four possessions, and they led just 100-96 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Spurs finally started inserting their will on offense thanks to some Fourth Quarter De'Aaron Fox, who had 12 of his 30 points in the period, and Wembanyama coming alive once again down the stretch to help close things out 131-121. It wasn't the prettiest Spurs win ever, but it was one they desperately needed, and they made it happen.

Game Notes

• Whether it's to start pushing his conditioning back to normal after his illness or a result his hot first quarter, Wemby stayed in a little longer than he has lately, not exiting the game for the first time until almost the 3-minute mark. He was then right back in to start the second quarter. In the second half, he subbed out with 6:34 left in the third, returned three minutes later and played the remaining 15 minutes of the game, including the entire 4th quarter. Wemby never looked gassed in this game, putting up 31 points (5-8 from three), 15 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks, including some key buckets late. He wasn't 100%, but hopefully this means he has finally overcome his respiratory illness.
• De'Aaron Fox quietly had big a first half with 15 points on 3-8 shooting but 9-10 from the free throw lines and was a +18 in plus/minus. His 15 second-half points were louder, and he ended up with his highest scoring game as a Spur with 31 points, 15-18 from the free throw line, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. While Stephon Castle appears on his way, it's has been a while since the Spurs had a player who could drive and get to the line the way Fox does. It's quite the luxury to have, especially while Wemby still apparently has work to do to gain the respect of the refs.
• The Wizards lived and died by the three, jacking up a whopping 47 of them but only hitting 14. On the other hand, the Spurs were much more efficient, hitting 17-38 from three. They also won in the fast break department 22-15 and by 7 points from the line, which was a good thing since they were outscored 56-46 in the paint and 17-11 on second chance points (thanks to P.J. Carlesimo for keeping track since no box score does for some reason). The Spurs actually grabbed one more offensive rebound than the Wizards (11 vs. 10); they just failed to take advantage.

Play of the Game

After missing the game-winner in Orlando and struggling with energy the last few games, it was good to see Wemby still going strong late and able to help secure the victory with a strong driving layup late in the fourth.

Up next: Wednesday @ Boston Celtics

6:00 PM CT on ESPN and CW35