Coming off an exciting win versus the Orlando Magic, the Spurs traveled to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. Before the game, the Spurs received the news that Luke Kornet would be out with ankle soreness. That meant that Bismack Biyombo would get the start at center. After a remarkable first half that saw Devin Vassell shoot the lights out with 25 points on seven threes and an eight-point lead, the Spurs, once again, imploded in the third quarter. The Cavs outscored them 44-19. They would attempt a comeback in the fourth, but could not get back within single digits. The Cavs ultimately defeated the Spurs 130-117.
Devin Vassell led the way with 28 points (7-13 3PT), three rebounds, three assists, and a block. Dev was scorching in the first half: he dropped 25 of his 28 points in the first half alone. However, he cooled off in the second half, only scoring three points. Even though the result was not what he wanted, Dev’s performance is an encouraging sign as the team continues to get healthy.
Playmaker Dev! Dev fakes the jumper and instead lobs it up to Biyombo for the alley-oop connection!
AND ONE! Dev drains the deep three while getting fouled by Nae’Qwan Tomlin for the four-point play opportunity!
He’s a flamethrower! Dev knocks down his fourth three of the first quarter!
De’Aaron Fox dropped 25 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and a steal. D-Fox had another solid game, scoring and dishing out assists, but also struggled with turnovers. He looked gassed in the fourth, with several of his shots falling short at the rim. Nonetheless, D-Fox has kept this team afloat amidst the injuries. At this point, he’s now averaging 25 points per game, 6.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals on shooting splits of 49% FG, 38% 3PT, and 84% FT.
Keldon Johnson dropped 14 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in 25 minutes off the bench. He once again brought the spark plug energy off the bench, but like the rest of the team in the second half, he looked gassed. Regardless, he made several hustle plays, including attempting to save the ball by diving into the scorer’s table. KJ continues to cause damage inside the paint, including putting Craig Porter Jr. on skates with a eurostep finish!
Anytime you play three games in four nights, fatigue becomes a factor. Even though the silver and black started hot, not only did their shooting cool off, but their defense faltered without an interior presence. Although the result is disappointing, this is the type of loss you flush out immediately due to the circumstances. This upcoming week is a huge one, considering the chance that Victor Wembanyama or Stephon Castle could return from injury. The sooner the Spurs are at full strength, the sooner the NBA might have to take notice.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs continue their road trip in New Orleans on Monday to take on the Pelicans at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.