Coming off a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Spurs returned home for a one-game homestand versus the Memphis Grizzlies. With Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle still out, once again, the Spurs battled a Grizzlies team without Ja Morant. What ensued was a fiery and competitive track meet. After holding a four-point lead at halftime, the Spurs actually led by seven, but could not pull away. The Grizzlies outscored the Spurs 39-34 in the third, and the Spurs actually trailed by seven in the fourth with 7 minutes remaining.
Then, a switch flipped. The silver and black embarked on a 9-0 run as both teams traded haymakers down the stretch. A Keldon Johnson three gave the Spurs the lead with 3:17 remaining, and they would not relinquish it. A De’Aaron Fox three put the dagger in the Grizzlies’ hearts with just over a minute left, and the Spurs ultimately win 126-119.
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Harrison Barnes dropped a season-high 31 points (7-12 3PT), five rebounds, five assists, and a steal. HB was en fuego from three and scored 17 of his 31 points in the first half. This is not only his season-high but his Spurs-high as well. Ladies and gentlemen, remember to thank the Sacramento Kings for this man.
MR. 100%! HB gets the Spurs on the board with a wild three, expecting the foul call!
How about from the corner? HB activates his corner specialist badge and drains the corner three!
Two-way player at 33! HB strips Cedric Coward and goes coast to coast with the vet move for the finish!
De’Aaron Fox dropped 29 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. This was a sneaky 29 from D-Fox, as he made plays on the defensive end and drew a crowd every time he drove into the paint. He scored from everywhere on the court, from threes, midrange, to layups. He also shot nine of ten from the free-throw line. Make no mistake about it: somehow and some way, D-Fox is going to get a bucket. Oh, one more thing Spurs fans: make sure to thank the Kings again!
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What are you looking at? D-Fox fakes the pass and drains the wide-open three from the wing!
Getting the rook involved! D-Fox draws multiple defenders in the paint and drops it off to Carter Bryant, who drains the wide-open three! Carter finished with six points on two threes.
TOO OPEN! D-Fox is left on an island for the easiest corner three of his life!
ICE IN HIS VEINS! D-Fox ices the game with a three over Jaren Jackson Jr.
Dylan Harper dropped 15 points, six assists, and a board in 21 minutes off the bench. The amount of impact Dylan can make in such a short span of time is unbelievable for a rookie. His ability to get to the rim and finish is already at an elite level. His playmaking is also on full display by making dimes off of pick-and-rolls and fastbreaks. Whenever Mitch Johnson decides to let him loose, watch out!
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Look at this pass! Dylan threads the needle to Devin Vassell coming off the screen, and he nails the tough fadeaway jumper over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope! Dev finished with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block.
CASH. Julian Champagnie finds an open Dylan in the corner, and he splashes the three!
Keldon Johnson dropped 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 28 minutes off the bench. Ok, it might be time to start considering KJ as a dark horse candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. He is not only a spark plug off the bench for the offense, but he actually played decent defense during crunch time in the fourth quarter. KJ has fully embraced his role, and he never fails to light the Frost Bank Center on fire.
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BIG BODY FINISH! KJ drives into the paint and uses his strength to finish at the rim!
All in all, this was a nice bounce-back win after the loss to Minnesota. HB stepped up in the biggest way, and the team showed him some love in the postgame interview. They also showed Dylan love by tapping his head multiple times. The camaraderie of this team feels like it’s never been this high, and they’re not even at full strength yet. They face a quick turnaround playing a SEGABABA in Orlando, so hopefully they keep their energy strong.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs travel to Orlando to take on the Magic at 6:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.