SAN ANTONIO —
Game Story
First Quarter
Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl both made an immediate impact in their return, with four early assists for DJ and 6 early points for the big man.
Murray found Poeltl for a hook that missed, but Murray got the putback. Then he took it downhill in pick and roll, putting the Spurs up 21-16.
Zach Collins made his Spurs debut, immediately grabbing an offensive board and drawing a foul for his first point in San Antonio. He helped Dejounte grab a steal, then turned another offensive board into his first basket. He snagged his third offensive board, but couldn't convert.
Murray snagged another steal and dished to Josh Primo for a big dunk. Primo found Keita Bates-Diop on a back cut for a reverse, then drilled a catch-and-shoot three off a pass from Tre Jones to put the Spurs up 13.
San Antonio led 33-25 after the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Doug McDermott also came back from an injury absence, and drilled a three to start the second. Keldon posted up and hit a crazy fader through a foul. Collins continued his strong debut, pumping and reversing it under the basket, then helped break up a fast break.
Murray finished a few acrobatic layups in traffic, but Houston was able to tie the game on a 6-0 run. Murray stopped the run with a pull-up jumper off the cross. He picked up a loose ball and bounced it to Keldon for a dunk, then got Poeltl and easy bucket down low. Jak blocked a shot, then got a tip from Primo and a layup inside.
Vassell got a steal, and Keldon scored on the other end to make it a 6-0 run. Eric Gordon hit a three, and San Antonio led 57-54 at the break.
Third Quarter
San Antonio opened the half on an 8-0 run as Derrick White drained a three, then found Doug McDermott for three more.
Keldon Johnson hit a stepback three, then another, and Poeltl finished inside to make it a 20-6 run and a 17-point advantage. Murray ran pick and pop with Zach Collins, who swished a rainbow three with zero hesitation. The next trip, on the same play, Murray drove all the way in for a hand-switching power jam.
Keldon stole a pass, White hit an and-1, and San Antonio went in front by 22.
Collins hit a jumper in the post over Rockets rookie Alperen Sengun, then fell down the next time he posted up. He tried to bounce a pass to Devin Vassell on a backdoor cut, but went just a bit too long.
The Spurs led 97-77 after winning the third quarter 40-23.
Fourth Quarter
Dejounte dimed Jakob Poeltl, then broke the press with a lob to Keldon for a loud jam.
Primo passed to McDermott for a late clock three deep behind the line. Murray bounced a pass in to Poeltl for a hook, and Poeltl grabbed a steal and passed it up to McDermott for three more and a 24-point lead.
White got free throws, then fed Dejounte a wide-open three. Murray hit from the opposite wing to hit his season scoring average of 19 points to go with 11 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and just a single turnover.
Collins came back in and passed to Keldon for a score inside, then he posted up and drew a double team that helped create a three. He missed in the post, got it back, and bounced it to Primo for a cutting layup.
Pregame
The San Antonio Spurs (19-34) will host the Houston Rockets (15-36) tonight. This will be the final home game before the Spurs start their annual Rodeo Road Trip.
Zach Collins is set to make his Spurs debut, finally healthy after over 500 days on the mend.
In their previous game, the depleted Spurs lost to the Heat, 112-95, at home Thursday night.
Derrick White led the team with 22 points. Lonnie Walker IV had seven points and Keldon Johnson ended the night with seven points.
"They gave it everything they had but Miami, they're sharper. Everything they did was more purposeful. We haven't gotten to that stage yet where we have five guys at one time being purposeful," Gregg Popovich on loss to the Heat.
Here are five things to watch for in tonight's game:
1. Houston is 3-31 when trailing after the third period.
2. Houston is 10-12 against teams with a sub .500 record this season.
3. San Antonio and Houston are 1-1 in their regular-season matchups this season.
4. The Spurs are 4-6 in the second game of a back-to-back.
5. The Spurs are 11-20 against the West this season averaging 111.9 points per game in those contests.
Stay here at KENS 5 throughout the season for complete Spurs coverage.
Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5