SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs returned home from the Rodeo Road Trip and beat the Pacers 110-99 for their second win in a row.
Devin Vassell and Tre Jones returned to the floor, Jeremy Sochan had 22 and 13 in his first career double double, and San Antonio got their second win in a row. The Spurs started the year 0-44 when trailing by double digits at any point, but they're 2-0 in the last two games. Four guys scored 18+ points in the win.
Zach Collins opened the scoring with a little hook shot, then another. Sochan drove into the lane and hit a short jumper, then made a clean back cut for an easy layup.
Keita Bates-Diop cut along the baseline and finished a tough reverse through a foul, tying it up at 11 on the free throw.
Sochan muscled his way in for a layup, then Malaki Branham did the same.
Devin Vassell checked into the game, crossed over to the empty right side of the floor, and passed across the court to Malaki Branham who drove in from the corner for a finger roll. Zach Collins made a pair of solid stops at the rim, then bounced it to Vassell on a backdoor cut for his first bucket back.
Tre Jones made his return to the court as well, and after a few nice plays that didn't get the desired result he bounced one in to Charles Bassey for a floater.
Jones and Vassell were both clearly shaking off the rust early, and San Antonio trailed 29-21 after the first.
Bassey put back a miss, then leapt for a huge block, then got it to KBD down low for a layup.
Devonte' Graham crossed over and chucked in a triple, making it a three-point game.
The Pacers went on a run to push their lead up to 11 before Sochan grabbed a offensive board and scored the second chance points. Collins rained in a three, then posted up for a hook.
Vassell stepped back from mid-range and popped one in, then drove through physical defense for a tough lefty layup.
Sochan got stuffed on a layup attempt, but came back for a big dunk to tie it up at 46. Branham scored, and Jones drove for a difficult layup. Jones passed it up to Vassell, who launched himself at the rim and squeezed down a dunk.
San Antonio trailed 54-52 at halftime.
Sochan drove for an elbow jumper to put the Spurs in front, then passed out to Graham for three.
KBD swatted a shot, then Graham pumped, stepped back and drilled a three through a foul.
Sochan drove for a layup, then crammed a big putback dunk to put the Spurs in front by 10. Indy answered but he bullied his way through the lane for an easy banker.
After another Pacers bucket, Sochan ripped a steal and took it down for a polite two-handed dunk.
Vassell drove right, stopped, pumped, and popped it in from mid range. On the next trip he drilled a three, then he rattled home a deep heat check.
He missed his next attempt, then drove hard and floated across the paint before hitting a reverse layup on the way down.
Bassey blocked another shot, Blake Wesley went the other way with it and kissed in a layup.
San Antonio led 83-70 heading to the fourth.
Wesley drove baseline through traffic and threw down a dunk, then Dom Barlow saved a miss to Collins who popped it up and in.
PHOTOS: Spurs victorious against Pacers
Blake Wesley continued his hot outside shooting with a corner three, Collins lowered his shoulder and went through Myles Turner for a layup, and San Antonio pushed their lead all the way up to 18.
In the blink of an eye Indy ripped off an 8-0 run to make things interesting, and Mitch Johnson called time.
Malaki Branham drove into the lane and floated one in to slow the run, then Collins hit a three. The Pacers cut it to nine.
GAME REWIND
The Spurs are coming off a road win versus the Jazz, 102-94.
Keldon Johnson had 25 points and three assists to lead the team while Zach Collins added seven points. Doug McDermott finished with 19 points and three rebounds while Jeremy Sochan recorded 13 points in the win.
The Spurs were without Devin Vassell, Isaiah Roby, Romeo Langford, and Tre Jones due to injuries.
The Spurs outscored the Jazz 31-21 in the final frame to seal the win.
"It's always a good feeling when we win. Ain't nothing like it. We fought. We continue to fight. We stayed together as a group and good things happen. I feel like we had a different third quarter than we had in the last game," said Johnson. "The guys, they stepped up and played defense. Good things happened. We just got to keep working."
INJURY REPORT
THE UNIFORMS
The Spurs will be in their Classic Edition jerseys today.
LOCKED ON SPURS PREVIEWS SPURS-PACERS
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1. The Pacers have won two-straight games on the road.
2. The Pacers are 1-17 on the road when trailing after the third period.
3. The Pacers are 16-11 versus teams with a below .500 record.
4. The Spurs have lost five-straight games at home.
5. The Spurs have recorded fewer blocks than their opponents in 15-straight games.
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