Charles Bassey and the Spurs got back to their winning ways (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs (12-12) got back to .500 by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans (5-20) on Sunday night by a final score of 121-116. The Spurs were able to snap a three-game losing streak, while the Pelicans have now lost 11 of their previous 12 contests.
The Spurs started slow against the Pelicans before gaining control of the proceedings thanks to a 43-28 second quarter. San Antonio remained out in front until a cold spell in the fourth quarter almost cost them the game. Thankfully, Victor Wembanyama authored heroics down the stretch to get the good guys a much needed victory.
Stats: Spurs vs. Pelicans
Spurs vs. Pelicans – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama’s night will be remembered for the final 47 seconds of the game. With the Spurs down by two points, Wembanyama won a jump ball, hit a three-pointer, got two big defensive rebounds and hit four free throws to finish off the Pelicans with a personal 7-0 run. That flurry put a bow on what was an efficient outing for the Frenchman. That he was even able to play 26 minutes was a bit of a surprise. Early in the first quarter, Wembanyama went to the locker room due to an apparent back injury. All in all, the star sophomore was relatively subdued but he was there when needed most. Hopefully his back can get to 100% before the Spurs next play on Friday.
Grade: B+
Chris Paul
On the night he moved into second place on the all-time assist list, Paul put on a show of how to run the point guard position properly. His orchestration of the offense was excellent — and seemed to get better as the game progressed. Paul added a couple three-pointers and actually played quality defense. Add in active hands in passing lanes and hustling to loose balls and the legendary PG made it truly a night to remember.
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes did a better job of involving himself on the offensive end and finished with an absurdly efficient offensive showing. He ended with 16 points on six field goal attempts with no turnovers and no fouls. Barnes’ defense wasn’t especially good and he only had one board in 32 minutes — but that offensive punch was so valuable that a lot of the negatives can be overlooked.
Grade: B+
Stephon Castle
After ten straight games in which Castle hit fewer than half of his shots from the field, the rookie found his way versus New Orleans. He hit 2-of-5 three-pointers and did a much better job finishing off his forays to the paint. His playmaking was above average and his confidence was palpable. His defense hit a few lulls and he turned it over four times — but this felt like a step in the right direction for the 20-year-old. (Castle left the game for a bit after a collision but was able to return with a shoulder pad.)
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie hit only 2-of-8 three-pointers and didn’t go to the line but was still able to score at least nine points for the 14th consecutive game. He’s getting legitimately good at driving to the hoop and also finishing on the break, which has increased his value quite a bit. Defensively against the Pelicans, Champagnie helped out by rebounding but could have been quicker in rotations.
Grade: B
Devin Vassell
Following a hot shooting start to his campaign, Vassell has begun to cool off. Against the Pelicans, he missed all four of his shots from deep and was just 3-for-11 from the field overall. That said, the news isn’t all bad for Vassell. His passing was improved, his shot-selection was smarter and his defense is getting better. The result is that the Spurs looked good when Vassell was on the court even though he wasn’t red hot from the field.
Grade: C+
Jeremy Sochan
The good: Sochan’s defense couldn’t have been much better. Two steals and two blocks in 23 minutes paints the picture of how impactful he was on that end. He was flying around the court while doing work on the inside and outside. Offensively, Sochan had some success on the interior and off cuts. The bad: The lack of perimeter shooting is limiting Sochan’s value right now. He doesn’t want to shoot, which really hurts the spacing whenever he’s on the court. It’ll be interesting to see if he can win back his starting job if he doesn’t start shooting it straighter from three-point range.
Grade: B
Charles Bassey
Well, damn, talk about production. In only 18 minutes of action, Bassey stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Defensively, his shot blocking changed the game. In fact, he was an even bigger rim deterrent than Wembanyama in this game. Offensively, Bassey gobbled up rebounds, finished strong and got to the charity stripe. Truth be told, he missed a handful of easy shots and sometimes tried to do too much on both ends — but, net-net, Bassey’s insane energy was a plus in this affair.
Grade: B+
Keldon Johnson
The leading news regarding Johnson is that he left the game following a non-contact injury. Early reports indicate it was a calf injury. Let’s hope he avoided anything serious. Before Johnson was forced to leave, he was doing decently well. He tallied four assists in 11 minutes and also got to the line four times.
Grade: B-
Zach Collins
Like Johnson, Collins was forced out of the game. The backup center took a hard fall and landed on his back. He had three rebounds and a basket in his three minutes before heading to the locker room.
Grade: Inc.
Mitch Johnson
With players dropping like flies, Johnson had some difficult decisions to make rotations-wise. I thought he did well. I continue to like the confidence he shows in Castle. Wembanyama was adequately featured throughout. The defense was still spotty at times but looked better with the return of Wembanyama.
Grade: B+