In a fierce battle on December 12, Beijing time, the NBA regular season ushered in a high-profile game, the Spurs lost to the Rockets 82-93 on the road, suffering a 17-game losing streak, which also set a record for the longest losing streak in a single season in team history. Behind this game is a team that is trying to get out of the slump, and another Rockets team that has won ten games in a row at home.
The Spurs have a record of just 3 wins and 18 losses, which puts them at the bottom of the West. Currently, they are on a 17-game losing streak, unprecedented in the team's history. As a team with the third-youngest roster in the league, they need time to polish and grow. That string of losses also highlighted that second-half offense has been a major problem for Spurs. Especially in the third quarter, they averaged just 25 points per game3 points, which is at the bottom of the league.
There are also some positive signs. Wembanyama have been excellent in their last 10 games, contributing an average of 17 per game5 points and 102 rebounds, showing his potential as the future core of the team. He shot just 42 from the field8 per cent, but it also reflects the need for young players to gain experience and improve their shooting percentage.
In contrast, the Rockets currently sit in eighth place in the West with a 10-9 record. Despite their poor performance on the road, they have enjoyed a 10-game winning streak at home, which has provided the team with a valuable home-court advantage in the playoff race. A key point in this is that the Rockets have been extremely consistent defensively at home, conceding just 98 points per game during their nine-game winning streak0 points.
Shin Kyung has become the scoring core of the Rockets, averaging 22 per game in the last 10 gamesWith 0 points, he showed a well-rounded skill in the game. Rockets youngsters VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. also made their mark in the game and contributed to the team's success.
At the beginning of the game, the Rockets, who were playing at home, couldn't find their form and failed to hit eight consecutive shots, and the Spurs took the opportunity to get off to a 5-0 start. VanVleet's three-pointer helped the Rockets take the lead after an 11-5 spurt, but the two teams gradually cooled down throughout the game. The Spurs, in particular, didn't score a point for a three-and-a-half-minute period, and it wasn't until Osman's jumper that the deadlock was broken. The Rockets bounced together at key moments, and the performances of players such as Green and Shin Kyung helped the team end the first quarter with a 19-21 lead.
In the second quarter, Green scored five points in a row to help the Rockets overtake the score 35-25. The efforts of Johnson, Sochan and others kept the Spurs somewhat competitive, but the Rockets took a 51-47 lead at the end of the first half thanks to a mid-range jumper from VanVleet. The Spurs shot just 13 from three-point range in the first half6%, which is also a reason why they are lagging behind.
In the second half, the Spurs ramped up their defensive intensity, especially at the beginning of the third quarter, when they quickly leveled the score to 53-all. The joy didn't last, and the Spurs didn't score a point for nearly four minutes, and the Rockets took the opportunity to play a small 8-0 surge to extend the advantage to eight points. While Wembanyama's stellar performance helped the Spurs fight back, the Rockets eventually won 93-82 to extend their home winning streak to 10 games.
In this game, the matchup on the court was particularly eye-catching, especially the Spurs' Wembanyama and the Rockets' Shin Kyung. Wembanyama contributed 15 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in the game, showing his centrality on the team. Shin Kyung is also not showing weakness, averaging 22 per game in the past 10 gamesWith 0 points, he showed excellent scoring ability and all-round skills in the game.
For the Spurs, the loss in this game has made their predicament even deeper, and more tweaking and improvement are needed. The development of young players is a process, and behind the losing streak there may be more potential. Wembanyama's rise to prominence is a positive sign that the team will need to keep pushing for more wins in the coming games.
The Rockets, for their part, gained more confidence in this victory. Consistent performances at home have put them in a strong position in the playoff race, while the rise of young players has opened up more possibilities for the future development of the team. The performances of players such as Shin Kyung and VanVleet have made Rockets fans look forward to the future of the team.
In this unpredictable NBA season, every game can be a watershed moment for a team that leads to a different fate. For the Spurs and Rockets, this game may be just a small episode in a long journey, and they both have the opportunity to create even more brilliant chapters in future games.