Coming off a wild win versus the New York Knicks, the Spurs traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, to take on the Pacers. Devin Vassell missed his second straight game with an adductor injury, and Victor Wembanyama was out due to a minor hyperextension of his knee from Wednesday’s game. Nonetheless, the Spurs were in a tight battle with the Pacers until the second quarter. After going into the quarter trailing by one, the Spurs outscored the Pacers 41-27, and took a 13-point lead into the half. After an ugly third, the Spurs’ lead was cut to eight. The silver and black were able to provide extra cushion for the lead as they ultimately won 123-113.
De’Aaron Fox led the way with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal. D-Fox continues his hot shooting from Wednesday by going 10-19 from the field. He also had key buckets in the fourth quarter that helped ensure the Spurs would come out on top. If he keeps at this pace, a second all-star bid may be in his future.
Pure scorer. D-Fox goes to work on Pascal Siakam and nails the stepback midrange jumper!
Fast as his name! D-Fox makes a sharp cut to the basket for a wide-open jam!
Dylan Harper was sensational off the bench with 22 points (9-15 FG), two rebounds, two steals, an assist, and a block. Dyl was uber-efficient from the field and slashed his way with ease against this Pacer defense. He exercised patience and skill with dribble moves a savvy vet would make. He played in key moments in the fourth, which could be a sign that fans might see the guard trio closeout lineup as the season carries on.
Get up then! Dyl picks off the lazy pass and finishes a wide-open fastbreak jam with ferocity!
Ankle breaker! Dyl catches the ball from Stephon Castle and does a quick crossover on Aaron Nesmith for the easy finish!
Stephon Castle dropped 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. After a rough game versus the Knicks, Steph bounced back with a near triple-double performance. Steph found his teammates in the right spots everywhere on the floor: from lobs to dribble hand-offs, and to open shooters. Regardless of his passing, do not forget Steph almost won a dunk contest last year!
Keldon Johnson dropped 16 points (6-9 FG, 3-3 3PT), six rebounds, an assist, and a steal. KJ continues his 6MOTY campaign with another efficient game. It is such a joy to see KJ excel in a role that has allowed him to showcase his heart and soul with every minute he’s on the floor. The spark plug energy he brings is hard to match across other bench players across the league.
Right place, right time! Carter Bryant makes the high-IQ play and finds a cutting KJ under the basket for two!
K3LDON! KJ knocks down one his three threes from the corner!
Kelly Olynyk dropped 10 points (4-6 FG), five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. Kelly got extra playing time due to Wemby’s injury, and he made the most of his minutes. He provided solid dimes, solid board play, and sneaky highlight plays. Kelly has always been a solid stretch big throughout his career, and he was solid for the silver and black against Indy.
K3LLY! After Steph draws multiple defenders in the paint, Kelly steps into the open three in transition!
KELLY PUTBACK POSTER! Kelly cleans up the missed Steph layup with a one-handed poster over Micah Potter!
Luke Kornet dropped nine points (3-3 FG), five rebounds, and three assists. Luke filled in for Wemby at the starting center position and picked up right where he left off. He finished lobs, grabbed tough boards, and did the dirty work on both ends. Luke continues to be the most underrated signing of the entire offseason. Also, sometimes when he catches lobs, it comes with a poster! Poor Nesmith.
Here’s another angle as Luke points at Kelly for his previous poster!
All in all, this was a solid win without two key starters. Even though it was against one of the worst teams in the league, the Spurs could have faltered and crumbled under pressure. But with the help of their star guard trio plus a few spark plugs, they took care of business. Now they face a quick turnaround for a SEGABABA versus the Trail Blazers at home. Will Devin and Wemby play? Fans will find out soon enough.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs return home to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on a SEGABABA at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.
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