Sandro Mamukelashvili had the best game of his career against the Knicks (Photo via X)
In what will always be remembered as the Sandro Mamukelashvili Game, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 120-105 at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday night. Mamu set an NBA record for most points in under 20 minutes of playing time by dropping 34 points in 19 minutes while missing only one shot from the field.
Things couldn’t have gone much better in the first half for San Antonio. The Spurs played great on both sides of the court and led by as many as 28 points in the second quarter.
The third quarter was scary for the home team, as the Knicks went on a 20-3 run early in the period. But instead of folding, the Spurs fought to regain control of the game. In the fourth quarter, Mamu scored 21 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the floor and 4-for-4 shooting from three-point range. His scoring outburst single-handedly kept the Knicks at bay.
Overall, it was a fun win for the Spurs and a memorable evening for everyone involved.
Stats: Spurs vs. Knicks
Spurs vs. Knicks – Final Grades
Devin Vassell
The good: Vassell’s defense was rock solid once again. He wasn’t playing much defense earlier in the season but he’s locked in on that end now. His four blocks attest to his activity on that end. I also thought he passed the ball pretty well. The bad: Vassell only scored ten points in 33 minutes and he didn’t shoot well. His shot-selection was okay — he just needed to be more aggressive on that end.
Grade: C+
Stephon Castle
Castle played well. His decision-making was slow at times and he could have passed the ball a little bit more but he also exhibited a lot of positives. Castle shot the ball well; his perimeter jumper looked smoother than usual. His toughness when driving the ball and when playing defense was palpable.
Grade: B+
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan got the start at center and was okay-ish. He was weak on the glass and had troubles defensively in the paint. Sochan also missed all three of his three-point attempts and was clumsier near the rim than usual. On the other hand, Sochan played with strength, pushed the pace, found teammates and didn’t back down from challenges.
Grade: C+
Chris Paul
Paul was more aggressive with his shot than normal and that decision paid dividends. He was launching from deep without hesitation and he ended up with 12 points in 31 minutes. While he uncharacteristically tallied four turnovers, Paul’s passing was pristine and his decision-making was advanced. Defensively, he also held up better than usual. Down the stretch, Paul’s savviness was unmistakable as he helped direct the good guys to the win.
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes only played 20 minutes but he did really well. He shot the ball well and didn’t hesitate to let it fly when given a glimpse of the orange. Defensively, he was more physical than usual. Barnes was even felt on the glass, which is something we can’t say often about him.
Grade: B+
Keldon Johnson
Johnson played with boundless energy. While he struggled to score the ball, that energy is apparent in the fact that he had ten rebounds in 26 minutes. I also liked Johnson’s defense. Hitting a couple more shots would have helped the cause but he did well to not turn the ball over or force much of anything.
Grade: B-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie didn’t lack electricity but he failed to move the needle much versus New York. He only hit one shot from the field and his defense was nothing to write home about. Champagnie did have success on the boards and made a few heady passes.
Grade: C
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Yeah, that’s a game Mamukelashvili will never forget. In only 19 minutes, he poured in 34 points on 13-for-14 shooting from the field, including 7-for-7 from three-point land. As those numbers indicate, the man was on fire. His three-point stroke looked exceptionally clean. His other buckets were typically of the hustle variety. Mamu basically just outworked everyone while also shooting the lights out. Even though he was on fire, he was still making great passes and he still was cleaning the glass. For a guy who is such a great teammate and plays so hard whenever he hits the court, it was heartwarming to see him have such an explosive outing. Congrats, Mamu.
Grade: A+
Blake Wesley
Wesley was quietly a big reason why the Spurs won this game (outside of Mamu’s blistering offensive performance, of course). When the Knicks made a run, it was Wesley who showed the will to fight. He never backed down and instead played tough defense and drove the ball relentlessly on offense. Wesley is still rough around the edges sometimes but he’s playing with a lot of heart right now.
Grade: B+
Bismack Biyombo
With Sochan starting at center, Biyombo was moved to the bench. In his ten minutes, he had four points and four rebounds. He wasn’t especially good but he deserves some credit for giving the bench unit a backbone.
Grade: B-
Mitch Johnson
I mean, it’s pretty crazy that Mamu didn’t play in the third quarter after scoring 13 points in the first half in only eight minutes. But, yeah, I guess all was forgiven after Mamu’s 21-point fourth quarter. I did like the coaching staff moving Sochan back into the starting lineup. I hope we see that the rest of the way even though Sochan will have some difficult matchups playing center.
Grade: B-