On the Texan bench, Sidy Cissoko was speechless. In Olympic form at an exciting end to the first period, Keldon Johnson (22 points on 7/15 shooting) slammed a big dunk. Enough to delight the audience and the Frenchman in order to conclude a prolific first period offensively for the Spurs rear.
Even in the absence of a tasty duel between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, both injured, this match between the Spurs and the Thunder produced a great performance from both teams and a suspense at the end of the match including the Frost Bank Center would have gone well (110-104 victory)…
Even without Victor Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell, San Antonio held its own against Oklahoma City. Relying on a good long-distance skill (9/22 at 3-points) and with an advantage inside, even in the absence of “Wemby”, the Spurs took the lead at the break (60-57) .
Returning from the locker room, the Spurs passed the third, pushing the Thunder to the edge of the precipice (57-71), before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander unlocked the Thunder counter in the 2nd half with a free throw.
Two bombs from Chris Paul to close the match
Too expensive in the first half to create a crippling gap, Mitch Johnson's men then only misplaced one ball along the way, while he had lost 13 before the break, a record in a half for the Spurs this season.
But OKC, the best defense in the league with 102.4 points conceded over 100 possessions, struggled to stop the great Texan dynamic. The efforts of “SGA” (32 points on 11/20 shots and 7 assists in 37 minutes) and Jalen Williams (27 points on 13/26 shots, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in 34 minutes) remained for a long time vain.
Mark Daigneault tried to trap Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson with a return to ten points in the last four minutes of the game. But Chris Paul (14 points on 5/10 on shots and 11 assists), who recently passed the milestone of 12,000 career assists and author of his 6th double-double of the season, was responsible for putting the Spurs out of reach with two big 3-point shots. Clutch against his old team, even at almost 40 years old….
WHAT TO REMEMBER
— Victor Wembanyama missed his second game in a row. Outfitted for the first thirteen games of the season, “Wemby” has been left to rest since his knee shock at the opening of the “NBA Cup” against the Lakers on November 15. The Frenchman's situation is being monitored “day by day”, assures Mitch Johnson, who does not think that the absences of Devin Vassell (also injured in the knee) and “Wemby” “will be extended because these are minor glitches”.
— First victory in the “NBA Cup” since the creation of the tournament for the Spurs. Beaten in its four games last year, San Antonio brilliantly won its first victory in six games. Against the Lakers, the Texans had not gone far…
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
From our correspondent in San Antonio (United States).
