Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks – Game #74
Victor Wembanyama came up big when it mattered most (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs have their first three-game winning streak of the season after defeating the New York Knicks in overtime by a final score of 130-126. This game will be remembered for the individual performances of Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson. While Brunson poured in 61 points, it was Wembanyama’s 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists that captured the win.
The Spurs got off to a hot start and led 38-27 at the end of the first quarter. In the second period, San Antonio’s lead ballooned to 21 points.
At intermission, the Spurs led the Knicks by 17 points, 74-57. Unfortunately, New York started the third quarter on a 26-9 run to tie the game. But instead of folding, the Spurs remained mentally strong and rebuilt a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks responded once more and the two teams were left to trade key shots down the stretch and into the overtime session. Thankfully it was Wembanyama and the Spurs who came up with the biggest plays of them all.
Stats: Spurs vs. Knicks
Spurs vs. Knicks – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
It was another masterpiece for Wembanyama. Yeah, a 20-year-old rookie dropped 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists on one of the hottest teams in the league. That happened. Offensively, Wembanyama was simply fantastic. His touch was pristine, he was physical, his passing was spectacular and he produced when it mattered most. Wembanyama’s ability to shine when the pressure mounts is one of the most exciting aspects of his rookie season. Defensively, he dominated on the boards and altered a handful of shots. I liked his rotations and the toughness he exhibited in the paint. Wembanyama is damn good at basketball. Wow.
Grade: A+
Devin Vassell
Vassell’s numbers look fine but I didn’t really like how he played. His shot-selection was off and he was often rushing or making the wrong pass-shoot decision. He scored 23 points and tallied seven assists so it wasn’t all bad — but Vassell needs to play a smarter brand of basketball to truly be valuable. There were times when his teammates were playing with chemistry and he was out there soloing. Vassell’s defense was okay-ish but it wasn’t as good as we’ve seen in his last few outings.
Grade: C
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan didn’t play after halftime due to an ankle injury. In the first half, he was the main defender on Jalen Brunson — and he did pretty well. Brunson was scoring but Sochan did a good job of making him work. In the second half, we got a glimpse of how important Sochan is to San Antonio’s defensive gameplan. Without him in there, it got ugly and Brunson was feasting. It turns out having a starting power forward who can credibly defend the other team’s point guard has quite a bit of value.
Grade: B
Tre Jones
The bad: Man, there were stretches where Brunson was roasting Jones alive. Brunson would make one simple move and Jones would be totally out of the play. Obviously, New York’s star guard is good but Jones showing more heart and determination on defense would have been helpful. Offensively, Jones’ playmaking and passing weren’t at their normal levels. The good: Jones had an efficient night scoring the basketball. He shot well and forced the Knicks to account for him. To be fair to Jones, his defense in overtime was better. Was it because Brunson was out of gas? Perhaps.
Grade: C
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie seems to be ending the season on a high note. His offensive game is becoming more well-rounded. There were times tonight where he looked painfully unathletic on offense but he still produced. Champagnie played with confidence when looking to score and also made the right passes at the right times. Defensively, he was a little bit better than usual — but struggled on switches.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
Johnson didn’t look 100% healthy after missing the last game with knee soreness but he came out of the gates playing really well. He scored 12 points in five first quarter minutes. In that stretch, he was 2-for-2 from three-point land and 4-for-4 overall. While Johnson didn’t hit another field goal after the first quarter, he retained most of his value by getting to the free throw line and handing out four assists. His effort on defense was commendable and he battled on the boards. All in all, it was a rock solid outing for Johnson.
Grade: A-
Cedi Osman
Osman looked like he was playing in fast-forward. That was both good and bad. He helped speed up the tempo and made some good passes in transition. But Osman was also sloppier than his teammates. His decision-making wasn’t always sound on offense and his defense left a lot to be desired.
Grade: C
Malaki Branham
It’s starting to look like Branham’s slump is in the rearview mirror. He had another strong showing against the Knicks. He knocked down a pair of three-pointers, dished a couple heady passes and made powerful moves with the ball. Unfortunately, Branham missed a couple freebies at the line, which was strange because he’s been money at the charity stripe this season. Defensively, he was playing with enough electricity but the execution wasn’t always there.
Grade: B+
Zach Collins
The good: Collins was sturdy in the paint and defended the rim better than usual. He kept his mistakes in check and didn’t try to do too much. He at least tried to go up and gather rebounds. The bad: Collins was 0-for-3 from deep and didn’t get much going inside of the arc.
Grade: B-
Blake Wesley
Brunson was too wise for Wesley to handle. The second year guard simply couldn’t consistently hang. To his credit, Wesley helped out on defense by snatching rebounds and loose balls. Offensively, his passing was good but he wasn’t nearly aggressive enough in terms of looking to put points on the board.
Grade: C+
Pop
The defensive strategy against Brunson looked extremely questionable for a lot of the game. Specifically, allowing Brunson to draw and quarter Jones without much help looked inhumane in real time. But, hey, I guess Pop and the Spurs got the last laugh. I liked Pop’s playcalling. Wembanyama and Vassell (with a splash of Branham) got clean looks out of timeouts due to designed plays. The rotation was mostly fine. Giving Champagnie extra minutes turned out to be smart.
Grade: B-