Victor Wembanyama came to Austin with a clear intention: to dunk some basketballs, and he did. The Houston Rockets, however, stopped his key final attempt to halt the San Antonio Spurs’ comeback and secured a 114-110 victory, sending the Spurs to a 0-2 start to the season. Wembanyama finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds, bouncing back from the worst shooting game of his career in the opener. The Spurs had erased an 11-point Houston lead, and trailing by two in the final moments they found Wembanyama on the block.
Defensive Stand
Amen Thompson denied the Spurs star with one of the most impressive defensive plays of the season, swatting Wembanyama’s attempt at the death. The block preserved Houston’s lead and capped a night of strong play from the Rockets’ frontcourt. Houston center Alperen Sengun got hot in the second half to finish with 29 points. Kevin Durant added 20 points for the Longhorn legend in his return to the University of Texas campus.
Asked if he would have done anything differently on the final possession, Wembanyama was direct. “I would have dunked,” he said.
Offensive Struggles
San Antonio’s three-guard lineup struggled to find rhythm, shooting 7-for-21 from the field and 2-for-12 from three-point range when Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox shared the floor. The group was outscored by 12 points during those stints. Harper and Castle combined to shoot just 1-for-9 in those minutes. The Spurs shot 32 percent from beyond the arc and committed 15 turnovers, which prevented them from building a lead larger than a single point.
Looking Ahead
Despite the slow start, the Spurs are not panicking. Harper noted that there are 80 games remaining before the playoffs. “It’s not gonna be perfect from day one,” he said. “Obviously we’re still figuring out with the group we have…