Devin Vassell carried the Spurs for a time in Cleveland (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs dropped to 15-7 on the season after losing on the road to the Cleveland Cavaliers (14-10) by a final score of 130-117. Behind a red-hot Devin Vassell, the Spurs outplayed the Cavs for almost the entire first half. Regrettably, Cleveland dominated San Antonio in the third quarter. When the smoke cleared, the Cavs had won the quarter 44-19 — and that put an end to any suspense.
Stats: Spurs at Cavaliers
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Spurs at Cavaliers – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
On the surface, it appears as if Fox had a solid outing. He finished with 25 points, nine assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes. A deeper look into his performance shows the flaws. He didn’t shoot especially well and he was sloppy with the ball. To make matters worse, his level of play in the second half dipped — particularly on the defensive end. Fox didn’t have a terrible game but he was more of a problem then he was a solution on this night.
Grade: C+
Devin Vassell
At halftime, the Spurs were up 72-64. The reason for that eight-point lead was Vassell. He had 25 points in the first half and tied a franchise record for most threes in a half with seven. No matter how tightly he was defended, Vassell was locating cord. Moreover, his defense in the first two quarters was intense. Unfortunately, the good times didn’t continue after intermission. Vassell finished with only 28 points and his defensive motor slowed following halftime. But, overall, he deserves credit for giving San Antonio a fighting chance in this game.
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes wasn’t able to provide a spark in Cleveland. He had seven points on seven shots and hit only one three-pointer. The effort was there but he struggled with limited spacing. Barnes’ energy level on defense was lower than usual but he did provide sporadic sturdiness on the boards.
Grade: C
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie has nothing to hang his head about. He was 2-for-5 from three-point land, 2-for-3 from two-point territory and hit his only free throw. He didn’t turn the ball over while swiping three steals on the other end. With a handful of his teammates dealing with inefficiency, Champagnie deserves credit for playing a clean brand of basketball.
Grade: B
Bismack Biyombo
With Wembanyama (calf) and Kornet (ankle) out with injuries, Biyombo got the start. I’ve been massively underwhelmed by his play this season so the fact that he was halfway decent against the Cavs was a bit of a surprise. Offensively, he finished both of his attempts and he wasn’t totally in the way. On defense, Biyombo was able to thwart a few possessions. He still wasn’t very good but, relatively speaking, this was a step in the right direction.
Grade: B
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan played a season-high 25 minutes — and the results were mixed. He missed two more three-pointers (after hitting seven of his first 13 threes on the season, he’s now 0-for-12 from deep in his last eight games) and was hesitant throughout the affair. His effort was good on defense but his execution was lacking at times. Sochan finished well near the rim and rebounded adequately but he still has a ways to go to lock down a dependable niche on this squad.
Grade: B-
Keldon Johnson
Despite uneven aid provided by his teammates, Johnson played his role at a high level once more. He scored 14 points in 25 minutes by attacking downhill and getting to the free throw line. Johnson was against a menace on the glass. While there were a few mistakes on either end, he was making things happen on defense in addition to his offensive production. All in all, he played well enough for the Spurs to win.
Grade: B+
Dylan Harper
Welp, I guess the rookie is, in fact, human. Harper struggled to score the ball in Cleveland. Considering how easy he has made everything seem, it was shocking to see him unable to put the ball in the basket. Harper was 1-for-11 from the field and 0-for-5 from three-point land. He also hit just one of four free throws. The rookie’s shot looked flat and he didn’t have his usual burst. To his credit, Harper still found ways to help the cause. He handed out six passes while flashing advanced court vision. Harper also didn’t give up on the defensive end, which was impressive to see from a youngster who was struggling so much to score.
Grade: C-
David Jones Garcia
Jones Garcia was called upon to provide a spark … and he was able to answer the call. In only ten minutes, the native of the Dominican Republic had nine points and four assists. He shot well, finished without a turnover and played inspired defense. While Jones Garcia wasn’t able to turn the tide, it’s fair to say he did just about all he could.
Grade: A-
Carter Bryant
Bryant played hard defensively, communicated well and ran the floor with purpose. Offensively, things didn’t go as swimmingly for the rookie. He was only 1-for-4 from the field and he seemed to second guess all of his decisions.
Grade: C+
Lindy Waters III
Waters hit a three-pointer and held up decently well defensively during his six minutes of action.
Grade: B
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk looked fine during his six minutes. Why did he play only six minutes in this game? I have no clue.
Grade: B-
Mitch Johnson
I didn’t like the decision to start Biyombo. Olynyk gives the Spurs a better chance to win. I’m also not seeing what Sochan is doing to deserve extended looks. On the other side of the coin, I liked how Johnson let Harper play through his struggles. The bottom line of this game is it’s difficult to win a road game against a quality opponent without both Wembanyama and Kornet.
Grade: C