Keldon Johnson helped lead the Spurs to another win (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs outscored the Houston Rockets 37-24 in the second quarter to get going and eventually post a 145-120 victory. The Spurs have now won 15 of their last 16 games and sit in second place in the Western Conference with a record of 47-17.
Stats: Spurs vs. Rockets
Spurs vs. Rockets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
It was a murderously efficient night at the office for Wembanyama. In 30 minutes, he totaled 29 points on only 13 field goal attempts while not turning the ball over. Defensively, while he has rebounded better, his protection of the rim was pristine. He was moving extremely well, ran the court hard and played with uncommon purpose. Wembanyama is playing at a high level right now and it’s truly a sight to behold.
Grade: A
De’Aaron Fox
Fox played well against the Rockets. He scored 20 points in 32 minutes, while connecting on 9-of-15 shots from the field. More impressively, Fox led the way with ten assists while only turning it over twice. While his defense sometimes was a step slow, he was locked in enough to help guide the Spurs for a majority of the evening.
Grade: B+
Stephon Castle
Castle had another strong all-around performance. He defended with vigor for each of his 26 minutes on the court. Offensively, he shot it straight. Castle was 7-for-13 from the floor, while hitting 3-of-4 three-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws. His passing was a plus and he kept his mistakes relatively in check.
Grade: A-
Devin Vassell
The numbers say Vassell played poorly. He missed all six shots from the field and nothing else jumps off the stat sheet. However, Vassell had some positive moments on the court. He was 5-for-6 at the charity stripe, he rebounded well, he made better than usual passes, he rarely made a mistake on either end and he defended with extreme aggression. All in all, Vassell doesn’t have too much to be sad about regarding his play versus the Rockets.
Grade: C+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie is growing up in front of our eyes. He’s starting to play like a wily veteran who always knows the right things to do. It starts with his shooting and he was 3-for-6 from deep against the Rockets. But Champagnie’s production didn’t end there. He had five rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block and zero turnovers in his 29 minutes. Champagnie is clearly a starter going forward.
Grade: A-
Dylan Harper
Harper was cooking in the first half. In the 14 minutes he played before halftime, Harper had 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field. He was making the Rockets pay for leaving him open or closing out too hard on him. His elite individual playmaking potential was also on display. Harper cooled down in the second half but he was still playmaking at a high level and he played solid defense throughout.
Grade: A-
Keldon Johnson
While Johnson only had one rebound, the rest of his game was strong enough to ignore that shortcoming. He finished with 20 points in 26 mites, while hitting 8-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-7 from downtown. Johnson also finished without a turnover and was more aware on defense than usual. Overall, he continues to be a very valuable sixth man for this team.
Grade: B+
Luke Kornet
It was mostly a quiet affair for Kornet. He had one basket and one rebound in 14 minutes. He also didn’t block a shot during his time on the floor. He was moving okay, his rhythm was just a bit off. To Kornet’s credit, though, he did hand out three assists without turning the ball over.
Grade: C
Carter Bryant
Bryant hit a couple of three-pointers in garbage time but he didn’t move the needle much during his actual minutes. There were some good defensive possessions but his activity level wasn’t as high as we’ve witnessed in recent outings.
Grade: C
Mitch Johnson
Coach Mitch put together another smart gameplan versus a top team in the Western Conference. The offensive gameplan took advantage of Houston’s weaker defenders and the defensive possession suffocated Durant. The rotation also made a lot of sense.
Grade: B+