SAN ANTONIO —
Postgame
San Antonio came into Miami on short rest without their three top players, and forced the East-leading Heat to bite their nails all the way until the final buzzer.
The Spurs pounced early and scored 40 in the first as they built a 16-point lead, but Miami woke up and San Antonio turned it over approximately one million times in the second, making it 61-58 Heat at halftime. From there it was a back and forth scrap, and every time it looked like Miami was going to extend the lead out of reach, San Antonio fought back.
Gregg Popovich said he couldn't be prouder of the way his guys never stopped fighting despite the difficult circumstances. They trailed by 17 in the fourth quarter and 9 with about 90 seconds to go, and a furious 7-0 run ran out of time at the end.
Devin Vassell scored a career-high 22 points, Keita Bates-Diop made the most of his start with 22 points and 11 boards, and Lonnie Walker IV got hot late to score 22 points, which makes it a career-best five games in a row with 17 or more.
Tre Jones had 19 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds, but four of San Antonio's 20 turnovers that cost them a huge upset win on a night when they improbably shot over 55% from the floor and 45% from three.
San Antonio falls to 24-37 as they continue their push for the play-in, but this is a loss that gave them a lot to feel good about.
Game Story
First Quarter
Tre Jones, Keita Bates-Diop and Zach Collins joined the starting unit, and nobody on San Antonio's side looked tired out of the gate.
Jones found KBD for a layup to start, then Zach Collins fed Doug McDermott for a layup. Collins got an offensive board and a bucket, then Devin Vassell scored in the paint. Jones drove for a layup, then got it to Vassell in transition for a huge poster dunk over Duncan Robinson.
Jones drove in for another layup, then KBD crammed a big dunk.
Vassell scored right at the rim again to put the Spurs up 18-5. New Spur Josh Richardson came in the game and immediately hit San Antonio's first three of the game. Richardson got the ball after an offensive board by Jock Landale, and finished with a lefty scoop.
Lonnie Walker IV got the ball late in the shot clock and calmly drained a triple. A few possessions later, he joined the dunk party.
Miami's woke up a bit against San Antonio's third stringers, but the Spurs scored enough to keep the Heat at arm's length as Devontae Cacok hit a couple of floaters and Primo canned a corner three on a feed from J-Rich.
Tre Jones caught a long rebound and got it up ahead to Landale for an easy dunk and a 15-point lead.
The Spurs led 40-27 after scoring an absurd 30 points in the paint in the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Miami opened the second quarter on a quick 7-0 run with Dewayne Dedmon burning his former team for a couple of scores in the paint. Tre Jones steadied things with a floater, then Vassell pulled up for an in-between jumper that arced high and fell through the net.
He played good defense on back-to-back possessions, then drained a three from the wing making him 5-5 from the floor to start and giving the Spurs a 10-point advantage once more.
The Spurs turned it over four times in the first four minutes of the quarter, certainly not ideal. Duncan Robinson hit his first three of the game, then forced Collins into his third turnover of the period. Collins got a tough board, then lobbed to KBD who made a wonderful mid-air adjustment for a finish. Collins' next pass ended with the ball in the stands, the officials deciding it was another turnover, and Collins heading to the bench.
Jock Landale came in and got bullied by Bam Adebayo for an and-1 that trimmed San Antonio's lead all the way down to 5. On the other end, Landale fought on the glass and earned a pair of free throws.
Vassell crossed over at the free throw line and stepped back for a wet jumper, but Bam answered with an and-1 through Cacok. A stagnant Spurs possession ended in a pull-up three from Tre Jones, but San Antonio forced a shot-clock violation. Jones took it to the rack, switched hands and finished. On the other end, Adebayo got another easy and-1 to make it a three-point game.
Vassell caught in the corner and stepped on the sideline, making it 8 turnovers in the second quarter. Herro took it to the cup and finished with the left, then Tre Jones committed an offensive foul to make it 9 turnovers. Jimmy Butler posted up and got free throws, and hit one to tie it at 58 and eliminate San Antonio's unlikely 16-point lead.
Bam Adebayo got a pair of blocks, then Jimmy Butler drove for a layup and got a free point with a foul after the shot. It was Miami's first lead of the game. Collins coughed it up for the fifth time, a fitting end to a disastrous second quarter that the Heat won 33-18.
Third Quarter
The Spurs start didn't indicate that halftime went well, as they gave up a 7-0 run. In between the buckets from Miami, the Spurs turned it over and then had a 5-second violation.
Zach Collins scored on a mismatch in the post, but then Adebayo flew in for an alley-oop finish. McDermott scored on a baseline floater, but Bam answered with free throws. KBD rattled home a contested three, and the whistles kept blowing in both directions.
KBD cut into the paint and drew help, catching, spinning, and passing to Vassell in the corner for a three and-1.
Bates-Diop made an extra pass to Vassell for another three, and he made it over the defense. The next trip down he drove the lane and got free throws, tying the game on a 9-0 run by himself. That was a career-high 22 points for the second-year player who figures to be a starter for a while.
Butler stopped the bleeding, but Landale made an on-point pass to Tre Jones on a backdoor cut for a contested reverse layup. KBD hit a free throw, then Jones blew past PJ Tucker for an and-1 floater. Butler tied it at 80 with free throws, but Primo got bonus free throws and a tech on Erik Spoelstra, hitting two of three. Josh Richardson harangued Butler, and the Heat turned it over. Primo gave it back to Butler, and after they collided at the basket Butler hit the free throws to tie.
Richardson drove middle and kicked to Landale at the arc, and the big man drained the triple, but Herro answered with his own three. Miami scored off an offensive board that bounced the wrong way, then Primo went back to the line to knot it. Herro answered on a drive.
Landale air-balled a three, but Richardson grabbed the miss and Primo got it back to Jock in the post for a tying basket. Lonnie scored a tough basket, then drove in for free throws. Miami hit a three to break the tie, then Walker turned the corner and crammed it hard. Herro answered with a layup, but Lonnie pulled it from three to tie.
Adebayo beat the buzzer from the stripe to make it 99-97 Miami heading to the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
Adebayo scored inside, then Lonnie launched a deep three that swished in. Lowry answered with a three of his own, then Bam scored twice to put the Heat up 8, forcing a timeout by Pop. Herro drilled an open corner three, the Spurs turned it over for the 18th time, and Adebayo gave the Heat their largest lead of the game at 13.
Tre Jones scooted through the paint and finished between the defense, but Herro took a big step back into the corner for another three. Adebayo got to the rim in transition for an and-1, making it a 20-5 run to start the fourth.
Walker took Adebayo off the bounce and finished an extremely tough and-1 layup. San Antonio couldn't find an answer for Adebayo on the roll, and he finished another dunk. Jones eurostepped into a floater, and the Spurs dodged a bullet on an open three before Lonnie drilled one over the defense in the corner to make it an 11-point game.
Kyle Lowry turned around for jumper, and both teams turned it over. Walker missed a couple of jumpers, but Jones forced a steal and KBD scored at the rim. Pop put Cacok and Joe Wieskamp into the game after Primo fouled out.
Richardson lobbed to Cacok who missed, but got it back and kicked to Richardson for a stepback three over two defenders. Miami called time with a 9-point lead and 4:23 to play.
KBD hit a three, and Jones made it a four-point game with a layup with two minutes to go. Lowry hit a three, then Adebayo scored inside to put the game away. And still the Spurs refused to die.
Richardson hit a deuce, the Heat missed four free throws, Jock put back a miss, and KBD pulled up for a deep three that sank to the bottom and made it a two-point game with 8.6 seconds left.
Miami struggled to inbound it, then Jones fouled quickly. Gabe Vincent went to the line for the first time in the game and hit both to make it four points with 6.7 to play.
Richardson missed at the buzzer, and the Spurs fell 133-129 after their most admirable refusal to roll over all season.
Pregame
The San Antonio Spurs (24-36) will continue their 2022 Rodeo Road Trip tonight as they visit the Miami Heat (39-21). The Spurs have won two-straight games.
San Antonio is also 0-1 versus the Heat this season. Before the game, Gregg Popovich explained that Dejounte Murray would miss the game due to a bruised knee, along with Jakob Poeltl and Keldon Johnson who also played over 40 minutes in last night's win.
In their previous game, the Spurs beat the Washington Wizards in double overtime, 157-153.
Keldon Johnson led the team with 32 points. Jakob Poeltl had 28 points and 11 rebounds. Dejounte Murray ended the night with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists. Lonnie Walker IV added 23 points.
"It was great to see in the fourth quarter and in two overtimes that there was a lot of team execution. We looked like we'd played together before. I think more so than the All-Star break," Gregg Popovich.
Here are five things to watch for in tonight's game:
1. The Spurs have lost three straight games overall versus the Heat.
2. The Spurs are 6-6 on the second game of a back-to-back.
3. Miami has won three straight games at home against the Spurs.
4. Miami is 5-3 at home versus West teams this season.
5. Miami is averaging 109.8 points per game at home as well as 36-percent shooting from the three-point line.
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