Julian Champagnie’s heroics secured a win for the Spurs (Photo via X)
Thanks to a franchise-record 11 three-pointers by Julian Champagnie, the San Antonio Spurs were able to beat the New York Knicks at the Frost Bank Center by a final count of 134-132. The win improved the Spurs to a record of 24-9, while the Knicks fell to 23-10.
Champagnie was the hero on a night that saw Victor Wembanyama leave with a knee injury. Riding Champagnie’s hot hand, the Spurs outscored the Knicks 41-30 in the fourth quarter to eke out the victory.
Stats: Spurs vs. Knicks
Spurs vs. Knicks – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama’s outing against the Knicks will be remembered for the scary knee injury he suffered. Thankfully, it sounds like he avoided any serious damage and he could return in a couple games. His injury came during what was otherwise a fantastic performance for the Frenchman. He was insanely efficient in his 24 minutes, dropping 31 points on 10-for-12 shooting from the field, 2-for-2 from deep and 9-for-10 at the line. Wembanyama also added 13 rebounds and strong defense. Offensively, his shot-selection was great and his touch has never looked better. Most importantly, he was demonstrative on both ends and was able to dominate the action with his forcefulness. Hopefully he will be able to return to action soon and quickly get back to this level of play.
Grade: A
De’Aaron Fox
Fox shot poorly from three-point range (1-for-8) but was otherwise outstanding. He was 10-for-13 from two-point territory and tallied seven assists and zero turnovers. His playmaking was great; his patience and decision-making were at high levels. When the Spurs needed a big bucket, Fox was there to make things happen. Defensively, this might have been his best game of the season. He was locked in individually and team-wise on that end of the court. Fox never had a reputation of being a great defender while in Sacramento but he’s improving at a fast rate and at times looks really, really good.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
Castle is trying to battle through a thumb injury and it’s not looking so good. I don’t know if it’s just his thumb or if he’s going through other growing pains in his second year. Against the Knicks, he forced shots, played a sloppy brand of basketball and just looked discombobulated on the offensive end. He ended up hitting only one of his nine attempts from the field and turned it over three times. Castle did pass the ball pretty well and he gave effort on defense but let’s hope he rediscovers his footing soon because this was a forgettable evening at the office.
Grade: D
Julian Champagnie
Well, damn, Champagnie will always remember the day he popped off on New Year’s Eve for a career-high 36 points. He hit a franchise record 11 three-pointers — and the Spurs needed every single one of them. In fact, the good guys likely lose if Champagnie would have done anything less. His memorable outing was mostly due to Champagnie finding room and letting go of his 17 three-point attempts with confidence. Add in strong rebounding, solid defense and his overflowing self-assuredness and this was clearly the best game he has ever played.
Grade: A+
Harrison Barnes
The good: Barnes hustled more than usual, which resulted in a better rebounding night than normal. I also liked his passing. His drives to the hoop were sometimes out of control but the results were usually positive. Defensively, he efforted at a commendable level. The bad: Barnes shot only one three-pointer and was just 2-for-6 from the field in 26 minutes. He made a handful of rookie mistakes on both ends and wasn’t really supplying the veteran leadership the Spurs need from him.
Grade: C
Keldon Johnson
Johnson had another very good performance off of the bench. In more playing time than usual (31 minutes), Johnson poured in 19 points and eight rebounds. While his shooting from the field was nothing to write home about, he remained efficient by hitting all nine of his free throws and only turning the ball over once. Johnson’s defense was also better than usual, particularly when it came to rotations.
Grade: A-
Luke Kornet
Kornet played well enough for the Spurs to secure this win, especially after Wembanyama left due to injury. Offensively, he scored enough to make the Knicks account for him. His passing was a definite plus and he kept the offense humming with heady screens. Defensively, he gave good effort guarding the rim and did good work on the boards. Kornet knows his job and he’s been doing what’s needed on a daily basis.
Grade: B+
Dylan Harper
Harper struggled. The rookie wasn’t helping the cause in any category. Usually he’s either scoring, playmaking or defending at a high level. On New Year’s Eve, he wasn’t helping out in any of those three areas. He struggled shooting, he wasn’t making plays for others and his defense left a lot to be desired. Hopefully the youngster can bounce back ASAP.
Grade: D-
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk absorbed about 11 minutes and did well enough. He was aggressive on offense and made sure things didn’t get stale. Defensively, Olynyk played physically enough to avoid being a liability. When he’s going all out, the backup big man is a solid piece to the puzzle.
Grade: B
Carter Bryant
If you look at the stat sheet, Bryant only missed a three-pointer and fouled three times. He was a little bit better than those numbers suggest — but not a whole lot better. Bryant failed to find a niche offensively and was too eager on the defensive end, which ended up in him getting out of position too much. The rookie needs to settle down and play smarter if he’s going to make a consistent impact this season.
Grade: D
Mitch Johnson
This was an impressive coaching performance. After Wembanyama went down, the Spurs could have folded their tent and retreated. Instead, San Antonio battled back to get the win. Johnson’s rotation was smart — particularly giving extra minutes to Champagnie, Fox and Johnson. Cutting down on the minutes for Castle and Harper was also wise. The Spurs didn’t really do anything special offensively outside of Champagnie going nuclear but the defensive gameplan helped keep the Knicks from finding a sustainable rhythm.
Grade: A