The Suns were missing their emotional leader in Dillon Brooks, who was suspended for tonight’s game after committing 16 technical fouls before the All Star Break. When Devin Booker couldn’t come out of the locker room after halftime with hip soreness, the Suns were wounded, and the Spurs took advantage. The Spurs fought their way through an inefficient first half with Victor settling for three point shots and finesse plays, but still led by 12, thanks to some solid play from Luke Kornet and company. Victor moved his game inside the paint in the second half, and that combined with his ability to erase the opponents’ shots on defense let the Spurs put the game out of reach in the second half with a 37-22 third quarter. When the Spurs extended the lead to 30+ early in the final frame, it was Biyombo time as the Spurs put in a lineup of all third stringers to finish out the game. The Austin was treated to some nice shots from Carter Bryant and the rest of the garbage time crew as they held most of the lead and won 121-94. Victor came out after the game and banged the drum, and the crowd went wild!
Observations
- It was a balmy 75 degrees in Austin at tip-off. It’s a nice day to be in Central Texas.
- The Spurs wore Fiesta colors, and it looks like they transported the Fiesta court from San Antonio to the Moody Center. The logistics of holding a home game an hour and a half up I-35 (on a good day) from the Frost Bank Center must be pretty involved.
- The beginning of the game was a back-and-forth affair as both teams played the first 6 minutes at a breakneck pace, with the Spurs leading 17-16 halfway through the first. The Suns called the timeout to challenge an out of bounds call, and the challenge was successful, but they immediately turned over the ball to the Spurs, causing Jordan Ott to call another time out just 30 seconds later. It was a pretty inefficient quarter for both teams as the Spurs led 30-25 at the end of the first 12 minutes.
- Remember when it was a big deal when Carter Bryant got into the game? He’s just part of the regular rotation now.
- The Spurs are so lucky to have Luke Kornet. When Wembanyama has to sit, he’s always so solid, and he knows how to get the crowd involved when he make a play. When Wemby has a bit of an off night, Luke is always there to keep the Spurs going strong.
- The Silver and Black had some nice work in the second quarter but weren’t able to keep Jalen Green and Collin Gillespie in check as they led by as much as 19 later in the quarter, but the Suns ended on a 6-0 run to trail by a dozen points at the half, 61-49. It was kind of an ugly half, as both teams looked like they were coming off of an All Star hangover.
- Devin Booker did not come out of the locker room to start the second half with hip soreness, and Phoenix was without their top score as the Spurs started the third on a 12-2 run to take a 22 point lead.
- Steph Castle committed his fifth foul early in the third quarter, and had to sit out for a while, but with the Spurs stretching their lead as Dylan Harper filled in, it was not too much of a problem for the Silver and Black.
- Jamaree Bouyea is pretty impressive, he’s worked really hard to make a career in the NBA and worked his way into being in the Suns rotation after bouncing around the league for a couple of years. It’s just great to see guys like him succeed in the association.
- The Spurs outscored the Suns 37-22 in the third quarter with Victor Wembanyama dominating the paint on both ends of the court.
- Mitch Johnson decided he had seen enough with about 10 minutes left in the game, and put in a lineup of Bismack Biyombo, Jordan McLaughlin, Carter Bryant, Dylan Harper, and Kelly Olynyk to finish out the game.
The Spurs will remain in Austin for a couple more days, facing the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at the Moody Center. Then they’ll go on the road for five games, starting with the Pistons on February 23, including a key matchup against the Knicks on March 1, and finally returning home to San Antonio with a March 5 rematch against the Pistons. After the RRT concludes, the Spurs will be home for 13 of the remaining 21 games, which could be helpful for the Spurs as they attempt to rise in the playoff standings.