Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets – Game #25
Keldon Johnson and the Spurs enjoyed the sweet taste of victory on Thursday night (Photo via Twitter)
Following 11 consecutive losses, the San Antonio Spurs have finally found their way back to the win column. After a close first half, the good guys dominated the Houston Rockets in the third quarter on their way to a 118-109 victory. The Spurs were never truly threatened in the fourth quarter as they waltzed to the long-awaited win.
San Antonio’s victory was impressive considering the team was without Devin Vassell (knee), Jakob Poeltl (knee), Jeremy Sochan (quad) and Keita Bates-Diop (foot). The team’s defense was noticeably better and the offense operated smarter and more efficiently.
Sure, this wasn’t the greatest turn of events for those Spurs fans who are rooting for the tank in hopes of landing Victor Wembanyama, as both the Spurs and the Rockets now sport records of 7-18. However, I think the youngsters on this team desperately needed a morale-boosting win to help take the pressure off.
Spurs vs. Rockets – Final Grades
Keldon Johnson
Is his slump finally over? It might be! Johnson looked great against the Rockets. In the first, in particular, he was fantastic at picking his spots. He didn’t try to do too much and exhibited much better touch in the paint and on the move. Johnson wasn’t as flawless in the second half but he was really, really good and provided the team a go-to scorer that’s been missing recently. Let’s hope this was the beginning of a hot streak that will make everyone forget about Johnson’s slump.
Grade: A
Tre Jones
The Rockets don’t have much interior defense. Once you break the first line of defense, the lane usually opens up. Jones recognized this and took full advantage of the situation. Jones scored a career-high 26 points, thanks in large part to seven layups right at the rim. I also liked how he showed confidence by taking open three-pointers. Jones didn’t have to do a whole lot of playmaking tonight but, honestly, that wasn’t what was needed considering the state of Houston’s defense. Taking care of the ball, hustling around the court and getting to the rim was what the doctor ordered and Jones delivered.
Grade: A-
Romeo Langford
Langford started and played well. Offensively, he’s looking more and more aggressive with each passing game. When he catches the ball, he no longer has a panicked look on his face. Instead, he’s either looking to score or make a meaningful pass. Defensively, Langford remains the best perimeter defender on the team. If he can continue improving on both ends, he could become an everyday player in this league.
Grade: A-
Zach Collins
Collins was okay-ish. His individual defense left a lot to be desired, as he lacked the strength to hold his ground in the paint. His help-defense was better but his rotations were too often a step slow. Offensively, he finished well in the lane. That said, his five turnovers and five fouls in 27 minutes were further evidence that Collins isn’t close to being a starting quality center. He’s simply not disciplined enough at either end at this point in time.
Grade: C
Malaki Branham
Inserted into the starting lineup, Branham wasn’t able to show that he should get more minutes going forward. Offensively, he struggled from the field and seemed to always be in a hurry. Defensively, he had a couple of bright spots but made more than his share of rookie mistakes. We’re still waiting for Branham to turn the corner and start showing prolonged flashes of promise. Hopefully that happens at some point in his rookie season.
Grade: C-
Josh Richardson
Playing for the first time in more than two weeks, Richardson obviously had some rust. He didn’t shoot it well and his movements on defense were slower than usual. That said, he played hard and his veteran leadership helped steady the ship when the Rockets went on runs. He also handled some of the playmaking duties with the bench unit, which was sorely missed during Richardson’s absence.
Grade: B-
Doug McDermott
McDermott’s numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet but he was actually quite vital in this win. All 12 of his points came in the game’s final 15 minutes. In fact, McDermott led the team in scoring during that final push. His relentless movement was especially effective against a youthful Rockets squad that sometimes forgot to account for him on the weakside.
Grade: A-
Charles Bassey
Nice! I thought this was actually Bassey’s best game of the season. He was a certified difference-maker on both ends of the court. Defensively, he was credited with four blocks in 21 minutes but altered a number of other shots in the lane and caused the Rockets to think twice before driving in. Bassey was also physical on the boards and threw around his body in the paint. Offensively, he passed the ball really well, was confident in all of his decisions and was reliably in the right spots. Bassey went through a cold spell after his hot start but it looks like he’s starting to regain his footing. He couldn’t have been much better than he was tonight against Houston.
Grade: A
Isaiah Roby
The good: Roby utilized his athleticism to high-point the ball to snatch five boards in 14 minutes. He wasn’t selfish. The bad: Yikes, the mistakes were many during his time on the hardwood. Roby had three turnovers, three fouls and missed all three of his shots. He also had a lot of other mistakes that didn’t show up in the statistics. Roby really needs to start cleaning up his game or else he’s going to find himself outside of the rotation before too much longer.
Grade: D+
Alize Johnson
Johnson played six minutes but didn’t move the needle much. He helped a bit with energy and scrapping for loose balls — but that was about the extent of his notable actions on the court.
Grade: B-
Pop
Pop was back after missing two games following what was called a minor medical procedure by the organization. He coached with an extra amount of fire tonight, which I was glad to see. He was holding his troops accountable for defensive mistakes and voiced his displeasure whenever anyone held onto the ball too long on offense. Starting Langford and Branham looked iffy on paper due to a lack of size on the court — but it worked out well. His minutes distribution made sense. All in all, it was fun to watch an electricity-filled Pop on the sidelines following his absence.
Grade: A-