On December 12, Beijing time, in the new season of the NBA, the Spurs met the Rockets on the road and finally lost to the opponent with a score of 82-93. The loss also snapped the Spurs' 17-game losing streak, breaking the record for the longest losing streak in a single season in franchise history. At the same time, the Rockets ushered in a wave of 10 consecutive wins at home.
Statistics. Spurs: Vassell 14 points, Keldon Johnson 12 points, Wembanyama 15 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks, Branham 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
Rockets: Jabari Smith Jr. had 9 points and 12 rebounds, Shin Kyung had 15 points and 9 rebounds, VanVleet had 16 points, Jeff Green had 12 points, and Eason had 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Background. The Spurs have struggled lately, with a record of only 3 wins and 18 losses, sitting at the bottom of the West, and suffering a 16-game losing streak, the longest losing streak in franchise history. Their offense has been sluggish in the second half, especially in the third quarter, where they only averaged 25 per game3 points, the worst in the league. Although they have the third-youngest team in the league, they still need time to get used to it. Wembanyama's last 10 games have been okay, winning an average of 175 points and 102 rebounds and shot 428%。
The Rockets are now eighth in the West with a 10-9 record. Although the away team is not strong, it has a lot of momentum at home, winning 9 games in a row. They have defended well, conceding an average of just 98 points during their nine-game winning streak at home. Shin Kyung played in full swing, averaging 22 points per game in the last 10 games.
Game recap. After the game began, the Rockets did not play well at home, failed to score a basket in eight shots, and were beaten by the Spurs to start the game 5-0. However, VanVleet's three-pointer helped the Rockets catch up, and suddenly 11-5 overtook the score. But then as the game went on, both teams felt worse, especially the Spurs, who didn't score a point for a full three and a half minutes and didn't break the deadlock until 1 minute and 37 seconds remained. Osman hit a jumper and then took a 2+1 on Holiday and McDermott also hit a three-pointer from the outside to give the Spurs a five-point lead. But the Rockets also fought back at the critical moment, Green shot a three-pointer, Shin Jing went to the free throw line, and at the end of the first quarter, the Rockets chased 19-21. However, it has to be said that the Rockets shot only 23 percent in the first quarter1% (6-of-26 shooting), while the Spurs had 364% shooting percentage (8-of-22 shooting).
In the second quarter, Jeff Green scored five points on his own in the second quarter, including a 2+1 goal against Wembanyama. Then Ethan, Thompson, Smith Jr. and others also began to show their skills, and a series of attacks gave our Rockets a 35-25 lead. Johnson made a free throw and Sochan scored on a layup to help the Spurs hold their ground, but the Rockets' two Greens, Shin Kyung and VanVleet, took turns to keep our lead going. Then, under Sochan's organization, the Spurs quickly counterattacked, playing a 9-2 band to narrow the gap to 2 points. But the Spurs didn't score a point in the last minute of the first half, and our Rockets relied on VanVleet's mid-range jumper to lead the Spurs 51-47. The Spurs shot just 13 from three-point range in the first half6% (3 out of 22).
After the rematch, the Spurs improved their defense and began to find their touch, Johnson hit both free throws to tie the score at 53. However, this good momentum did not last, and in the next four minutes, the Spurs did not score a single point. The Rockets took the opportunity to play a small 8-0 surge to extend the lead to eight points. At 5:37, Wembanyama scored a foul dunk, but unfortunately missed the free throw. However, Shin Kyung responded immediately, helping teammates Tate and Holiday score three-pointers, and the Rockets rewrote the score to 69-59. When the Spurs' offense was deadlocked, Wembanyama made a jumper to help the team break the scoring drought. At the end of the third quarter, the Spurs trailed the Rockets 62-69.
In the final quarter, McDermott came up and shot a three-pointer and hit it!Ethan didn't show weakness and returned the same three-point!After 8:50, Eason made a steal and made a fast-break layup to give the Rockets a 74-66 lead. After the timeout, Vassell suddenly scored four straight points to narrow the gap to just four. At the critical moment, Ethan broke out again and scored 7 points in a row!Then Shin Kyung and VanVleet also scored back-to-back, and the Rockets' advantage extended to 11 points. Although Spurs also tried to fight back, it was too late. In the end, the Rockets won against the Spurs, winning 10 games at home in a row!
Both sides start. Spurs: Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Malaki Branham, Jeremy Sochan.
Rockets: Alperen Shinjing, Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr.