Victor Wembanyama lifted the Spurs to a big win (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs trailed by double-digits and struggled for much of the evening before Victor Wembanyama beat the Phoenix Suns with a fadeaway jumper in the closing seconds. There wasn’t much beautiful basketball to be seen during San Antonio’s 101-100 victory but the Spurs were able to do just enough to eke out the victory.
Stats: Spurs vs. Suns
Spurs vs. Suns – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama put an exclamation point at the end of this fine performance by hitting the game-winner that clinched San Antonio’s first playoff berth since 2019. He finished with 34 points in 35 minutes by hitting 10-of-20 shots from the field and all 12 of his freebies. Wembanyama played a smart, aggressive brand of basketball on offense. Defensively, while it wasn’t his finest performance, he got better as the game progressed. Perhaps the best way to judge how Wembanyama played on this night was by witnessing how terrible the Spurs were when he was on the bench. Every moment he sat felt like an eternity. Thankfully, Wembanyama played long enough to author memorable heroics.
Grade: A-
De’Aaron Fox
Truthfully, Fox was pretty darn terrible in the first three quarters. He was 3-for-11 from the field, committed the sloppiest of turnovers, wasn’t making many plays for others and performed poorly defensively. If the Spurs lost this game, he would have been the main culprit. Fortunately for both Fox and the Spurs, the speedy point guard was very good in the final period. He finished the quarter without a turnover while hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field. When San Antonio needed a big play at a big moment, Fox was ready, willing and able to answer the ball. That said, the Spurs can’t afford for Fox to struggle like he did during the game’s first 36 minutes — especially when Stephon Castle (hip) isn’t suited up.
Grade: B-
Devin Vassell
The good: Vassell played outstanding defense. Without Castle, it was Vassell who stepped up and played San Antonio’s best perimeter defense. There were multiple occurrences where Vassell’s ability to wisely avoid a foul allowed the Spurs to get a stop. Vassell was also 3-for-3 on two-pointers. The bad: Vassell shot only 2-for-7 from deep. He turned it over twice and failed to get to the free throw line.
Grade: B
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie buried four important three-pointers on eight attempts. That level of marksmanship was especially needed because the rest of the team was 6-for-26 (23.1%) from deep. I liked Champagnie’s effort on defense but he could have been better about avoiding cheap fouls. All in all, San Antonio’s sharpshooter played decently well but it was nothing to write home about.
Grade: B-
Harrison Barnes
Barnes missed both of his three-point attempts and grabbed only one rebound in 23 minutes. His overall defensive performance was substandard. Barnes retained some value by getting buckets going to the hoop and his passing was a bit better than usual. But, overall, he didn’t do enough to keep his name in the starting lineup discussion.
Grade: C-
Dylan Harper
Harper missed three open layups and had a couple other shots rim out. His handle and decision-making were not as tight as usual. But, despite the lowlights, Harper played an important role in this win. Without the services of Castle, the rookie’s playmaking was extra valuable. Harper also played quality defense while also giving notable help on the boards. Harper has played much better but the Spurs were still able to lean on him when times got tough tonight.
Grade: C
Keldon Johnson
Johnson played with enthusiasm and vivacity … like he usually does. He fought on the glass and played decent-ish defense. Offensively, Johnson lacked efficiency. He was 0-for-3 from three-point territory, 3-for-7 on two-pointers and didn’t go to the free throw line. Considering San Antonio’s lack of carefulness, Johnson finishing without a turnover was commendable.
Grade: C
Luke Kornet
Kornet was underwhelming, to put it kindly. He wasn’t moving well and he lumbered his way up and down the court. He grabbed four rebounds in 15 minutes but none of the four were noteworthy. Offensively, Kornet basically just got in the way. Hopefully he loosens up soon because he was clearly not 100%.
Grade: D
Carter Bryant
Bryant looked like a lost rookie. His one shot in his ten minutes of action was an out of control drive to the cup. The rest of the time he looked timid on the offensive end. Defensively, there were glimpses of his potential but he was mostly out of sorts.
Grade: D
Jordan McLaughlin
McLaughlin was clearly the team’s unsung hero on this night. He gave the Spurs ten great minutes off the bench. With the Spurs uncharacteristically struggling to pass, it was McLaughlin who came into the game and greased the gears. He made outstanding decisions and had an extra amount of pep in his step. Defensively, he was one of San Antonio’s better performers and he even crashed the boards as hard as he could. On both ends of the court, McLaughlin came to play and made a palpable difference while he was out there.
Grade: A
Mitch Johnson
The Spurs lacked intensity on defense and focus on offense — and Coach Mitch doesn’t escape blame for either of those attributes. The offensive gameplan was unsightly in the opening three quarters. There were also too many defensive breakdowns. But give Coach Mitch credit for pushing the right buttons in the fourth quarter to give Wembanyama a chance to win the game. Oh, and playing McLaughlin was a game-saving type of move.
Grade: C