Spurs fall to the Kings 115-112
SAN ANTONIO —
Game Story
First Quarter
San Antonio couldn't buy a bucket to start, missing their first four attempts as the Kings built a 5-0 lead. Jakob Poeltl got it to Dejounte Murray on a back cut, then DJ played give-and-go with Keldon Johnson for another layup.
Murray scored San Antonio's third basket as well, also in the paint.
On a pick and roll, Murray found Poeltl for a little floater. Pop called time after the Kings hit an open three to make it a 12-8 lead. Lonnie Walker IV drained a catch-and-shoot three, then dribbled into another one and hit again. He earned the heat check, but missed it.
Keldon Johnson fought his way to the cup for two through contact. Walker lowered his shoulder and finished a drive for a layup. Sacramento cycled the ball well offensively generating a number of good shots.
Poeltl finished a putback, Murray got free throws, then stole the ball and soared in for a layup that got the crowd into it. the next trip, he found Devin Vassell in the corner for a tough three.
San Antonio trailed 30-27 after one.
Second Quarter
Doug McDermott drove to the hoop and banked it in off the glass with a scoop. Murray hit a free throw, and Poeltl got a seal down low for a pop-a-shot. Sacramento went on a quick 5-0 run to push their advantage to 7, and Pop called time.
Poeltl popped another in from the wing just outside the paint, then Lonnie drained another triple, this time from the corner. Murray drove under the bucket, then kicked it to Lonnie who hit another three. Sacramento just kept scoring, and built their lead to 10.
Murray passed to Poeltl in the dunker spot, and he finished a crafty reverse layup. Lonnie danced inside the arc and drilled a mid-range pull-up, then did it again. On his next pick and roll, he took it to the basket right at Sabonis. In transition, Tre Jones lobbed it up and Lonnie crammed it down to get a standing ovation from the crowd. They were still buzzing when rookie Josh Primo fought for an offensive board and got free throws.
Keldon forced a turnover, then ran in transition to earn free throws. San Antonio turned it over, then got dunked on going the other way. Sacramento scored again, and took a 64-51 lead into halftime.
Third Quarter
The second half didn't start the way San Antonio wanted it to, as they gave up the first two buckets and fell behind by 17. Devin Vassell hit a three from the top, an encouraging sign after San Antonio's starting wings struggled mightily in the early going.
Murray grabbed an offensive board and popped it in. The Kings built their lead to 19 before a transition scoop by Vassell. Murray turned it over a few times, but his teammates bailed him out with defense. Josh Richardson entered the game and immediately found Poeltl on the roll for two. Sacramento fell down in transition, and Murray hit Vassell for another three to make it a 14-point game.
After a timeout, Murray ripped a steal and smashed home a transition dunk. Walker hit a late-clock three, then got in the paint for a score. Poeltl made a layup to cut the Kings' lead to single digits, but then Sacramento ripped another 5-0 run. Tre Jones stopped it with a sideways leaning jumper in the paint. Zach Collins caught a pass in the post and immediately fed it to DJ for a layup to cut it to 10.
San Antonio forced a turnover, then Lonnie popped a big transition dunk. Primo lobbed it in to Collins, and just like that it was a two possession game. Sacramento turned it over again, and Murray passed to Jones for free throws, but the normally steady shooter missed both.
Walker heaved a deep three at the buzzer, and the crowd had immense confidence it would fall, but it didn't. San Antonio trailed 88-82 heading to the fourth after trailing by as many as 19 in the third.
Fourth Quarter
DJ drove to the hoop for the first bucket of the final period. Both teams struggled to find their footing offensively. Doug McDermott drove for free throws, the Spurs got another stop inside, and Josh Primo confidently stepped into a three to make it 91-89 Kings.
Poeltl smacked an offensive board out to the rook, who drove and used his extendo arms for a game-tying dunk.
De'Aaron Fox hit a three to put Sacramento in front again, but picked up his fifth foul on the other end.
Poeltl forced a turnover, then Lonnie found him on the roll for a game-tying bucket. Fox answered with a fairly absurd and-1 through Poeltl. Walker turned the corner and found an open Devin Vassell for another three to tie. Dejounte drove in, contorted his body to protect the ball, and put the Spurs in front.
Poeltl stripped Harrison Barnes clean, then Murray found Tre Jones on a cut for a layup to put the Spurs up 4. The Kings answered, but Jones made them pay on a cut again with an extremely tough reverse. Former Spur Trey Lyles got an and-1.
San Antonio forced a turnover, but blew the ensuing 2-on-1 break. Fox got free throws with 3:10 remaining, and missed the first before knotting things up at 103.
Lonnie fed Poeltl on the roll, but his floater missed. San Antonio defenders converged and forced a jump ball, but Poeltl tapped it out of bounds. The Kings got free throws, but missed one.
Sabonis drove and missed but got a soft, late foul call. Pop challenged, but the call stood. Sabonis hit both to put the Kings back up by 3. Murray got stymied inside with no whistle, the Kings got a long offensive board and scored inside to make it a 5-point game. Lonnie drove through Sabonis, fouling him out but missing one at the stripe. He forced a miss, but San Antonio couldn't convert and the Kings got the ball back with 29 seconds and a four-point lead.
Sacramento scored at the stripe, then Poeltl answered with a putback.
Dejounte Murray hit a pair of late threes as the Spurs played the foul game, and he launched a deep one at the buzzer that would've tied it, but came up short.
https://twitter.com/RealTomPetrini/status/1499595592435130384
Pregame
The San Antonio Spurs (24-38) return home after their 2022 Rodeo Road Trip as they host the Sacramento Kings (23-41).
San Antonio is 1-1 versus Sacramento this season.
In their previous game, the Spurs lost the Grizzlies, 118-105, on the road.
Lonnie Walker IV led the team with 22 points. Dejounte Murray had 21 points and was ejected from the game in the fourth period after tossing the ball at a ref. Jakob Poeltl had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Memphis' Ja Morant scored a career-high 52 points in the win over the Spurs.
"Ja Morant just kind of happened. He's a hell of a player, obviously, but there's no excuse we got to be locked on more on the defensive end of the floor. That's all Pop [Popovich] and the staff talked about all day. Transition and rebounding and I think they [Memphis] got all their points in transition in the first quarter," said Doug McDermott," Doug McDermott said.
Here are five things to watch for in tonight's game:
1. The Spurs have won two straight at home versus the Kings.
2. The Spurs are first in the NBA in assists per game at 28.2 per game. The Kings are 20th in the NBA in assists per game at 20.5.
3. The Spurs are 6-10 at home versus the West and are 11-18 overall at home against West teams.
4. Despite being 13 games under .500, the Spurs have only been outscored by their opponents by five on the season as a whole.
5. The Spurs are forcing 14.0 turnovers per game, including 7.6 steals for 9th in the NBA.
Stay here at KENS 5 throughout the season for complete Spurs coverage.
Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5