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Jeremy Sochan got revenge and barely had to stand up, as the San Antonio Spurs got humbled and had their 11-game win streak snapped on national TV. It was their first game back at Madison Square Garden since Victor Wembanyama set it on fire in a close, losing effort in last season’s Christmas Day game.
Neither side was shooting well early, yet Wembanyama’s defense set the mood, altering shots and poking balls loose. The Spurs raced out to a 12-point lead within the first eight minutes after pushing the pace and exposing the perimeter, but they loosened up when Wembanyama rested, ending the frame down a point thanks to Jalen Brunson going wild, careless turnovers and fouls.
New York’s avalanche extended to a 29-4 run between the first and second quarters, as the Spurs’ offense fractured. Their first bench points came with six minutes to go in the half, and that showed a faint sign of a heartbeat, which Wemby soon cranked up with a seven-point burst.
They went to intermission down 10 (scoring a season low of 41) with their biggest problems being unable to guard penetration, getting outrebounded, and their ball movement being below par.
The Spurs subsequently got some help in the third quarter with Karl-Anthony Towns picking up two fouls in 93 seconds, and Devin Vassell plus Wemby combining for combining for five baskets, yet they were still sloppy, picking up turnovers and giving up second-chance points. The Spurs even did that thing again: giving their supporters hope off a few minutes of competent play. It included Castle’s hustle reinvigorating them, but their help defense kept getting exposed.
The Knicks followed up taking charge fouls, forcing turnovers and smacking them with more threes, which forced to the Spurs to mix in a zone defense. Wembanyama took a rest early in the period and he came back after the hosts made an extra dent. The Spurs later submitted with fewer than four minutes left.
Observations
- The Knicks have some muscle, and they played fearlessly against the team that had the biggest target on its back. They put the most pressure on the ball, were nastier on the glass, and made life difficult in the paint. The Spurs got within striking distance in the second half, but weren’t able to get over the hump. They finished scoring 92.7 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the third percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.
- Wembanyama was the only Spur who showed up prepared and scored in double figures in the first half. The others were too willing to go one-on-one or take tough shots, and they defended in third gear. Still, it wasn’t all great for Wemby as he finished with seven turnovers and logged an abysmal 3-point shooting percentage (16.7). Aside from him, Vassell and Castle were the only ones in to score in double figures.
- Brunson and Towns are two weak defenders, and the Spurs didn’t put them in screen rolls enough. Consider how Towns cannot guard at the level of the screen, giving the ball handler too much space.
- Blocks can be mentally devastating for the player denied because they start attacking less forcefully or stick to the perimeter. Castle boldly attempted a jam, getting stopped by OG Anunoby early, and only took two more shots in the lane by intermission. Then he made four shots in six attempts in the second half.
- Jon Gruden has told a great story of Peyton Manning jogging up the sidelines, incredulously asking, “Are you out of your [expletive] mind,” after blitzing him? It’s exactly what raced through my mind when Josh Hart challenged Wemby, getting his shot swatted like a mosquito with a flyswatter.
- It was a rough afternoon for Dylan Harper, who picked up two fouls within six minutes by lunging at a 3-point shooter and brushing up on the ball handler after biting on a fake. Still, he’s a rookie, so he gets somewhat of a pass, but De’Aaron Fox gets none. He committed the cardinal sin of fouling Brunson on a 3-point attempt in the fourth quarter, which extended New York’s lead to 21.