SAN ANTONIO —
Postgame
Eight Spurs scored a dozen points or more as San Antonio scored revenge on the Rockets in a 134-104 blowout.
Dejounte Murray led the way with 19 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals, and Coach Popovich credited him after the game for setting the tone that resulted in 38 assists for the team tonight.
San Antonio scored 82 points in the paint, the most for any NBA team this season.
Game Story
First Quarter
Dejounte Murray took it to the cup on fellow Seattle product Kevin Porter Jr, then fed Keldon Johnson for an uncontested dunk. Derrick White hit a floater at the rim over the defense, then Jakob Poeltl finished a reverse layup.
The Spurs generated a number of good three-point looks that missed, sometimes by a little and sometimes by a lot. Houston scored on two offensive boards and a steal to take a 13-10 lead.
Drew Eubanks came in with a rough post-up attempt against Christian Wood, but then he made a few solid defensive plays and finished an and-1 to tie. Wood slammed on a mismatch when help came late, and Pop called time down 17-13.
Dejounte dribbled into a three, then stole a loose ball and passed to Lonnie Walker IV, who dropped it off to Keldon underneath for a power dribble into a reverse.
Murray got free throws to put the Spurs back in front 20-19.
Poeltl laid in a feed from Vassell, then Keldon knocked down San Antonio's second three of the quarter. On the next trip, he dished it to Tre Jones for a finish inside. Jones got free throws, then got a steal and set up a possession that ended in a corner three for Doug McDermott.
Lonnie found Poeltl in deep for another deuce, then capped the quarter with a steal. San Antonio closed on a 14-0 run and led 34-23. They notched 12 assists on 13 made baskets.
Second Quarter
Tre Jones hit from mid-range, then Walker drove baseline and bounced it to McDermott beautifully for another corner three.
Dejounte hit McDermott on a cut, and McDermott put rookie Alperen Sengun on a poster.
Sengun came back with his own dunk, but got T'd up. White hit the technical and Poeltl spun in the post for a cram, putting the Spurs up 17.
Houston put together a 5-0 run that got Pop to call time, still up a dozen.
Dejounte poked away a steal for a slam the other way, but Houston cut their deficit to 10.
Poeltl swatted a poster dunk attempt, and Devin Vassell found DJ in transition for a finger roll at the rim. Then Jak created space down low for a layup.
White whipped a pass over the top of the defense for another Poeltl jam. Jones passed to Poeltl in the post, then got a pass back when the double came, then passed to Vassell for three.
Houston kept answering, but Poeltl got positioning down low for a lay-in and Vassell splashed another three. The teams went back and forth for seven consecutive baskets. Vassell found Jones for another short shot, and San Antonio carried a 66-51 lead into halftime.
Third Quarter
Keldon Johnson crammed a dunk and hit a three to give the Spurs a 17-point advantage.
Murray floated it in on a pass from Poeltl, then the big man put the Spurs up 19 with a putback. Murray passed to Eubanks on the roll, and he faked before a jump hook. Dejounte ripped Wood down low, then dished to Keldon for an easy scoop in transition to make it 83-60 Spurs.
Murray pulled up from the stripe, then dimed Drew Eubanks, then spun to the rim effortlessly to get up to 19 points. Johnson scored on a pass from Vassell to put the Spurs up 26.
Murray bounced a pocket pass to Eubanks, who slammed it home gleefully. Then Murray kicked to Vassell for three, giving him 10 assists and giving San Antonio a 29-point advantage.
McDermott hit his third three of the game, pumping and taking one dribble after a handoff from Eubanks. Eubanks dunked a few more times, and it was 105-74 Spurs after three.
Fourth Quarter
Thad Young came in for garbage time, as most of the league expects him to be traded before the upcoming deadline. He got to the rim a few times, including a post up for a big jam.
Lonnie Walker IV had a rough finish to another rough game, scoring under 10 points for the fourth time in five tries and shooting just 2-10, even missing a dunk attempt.
Devin Vassell spelled him and sent it to Jock Landale for three, giving Vassell a career-high 6 assists.
Juancho Hernangomez got his first bit of extended run for San Antonio. Thad hit Jock for another three, then the two went back and forth in transition to give Young 10 points in just 9 minutes. He scored a hook on his next possession as well.
Vassell hit his fourth three of the game, making him one of eight Spurs in double figures.
San Antonio finished with 82 points in the paint, the most by any team in a game in the NBA this season.
Pregame
The San Antonio Spurs (17-30) will visit the Houston Rockets (14-33) Tuesday night in their first game of a back-to-back set.
San Antonio is 0-1 against Houston this season.
In their previous game, the Spurs picked up another loss on the season losing 115-109 to the Sixers in San Antonio.
"Can't spot teams a quarter in the NBA and come back when you are in the situation we're in. You make it very difficult when you spot somebody a quarter and we did it again," Gregg Popovich said after the loss to the Sixers.
Jakob Poeltl led the team with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Dejounte Murray had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Keldon Johnson ended the night with 17 points.
Here are five things to watch for in tonight's game:
1. The Spurs have lost three-straight road games.
2. The Spurs have won four of the past seven games versus Houston.
3. Rockets' Christian Wood has recorded 14-plus rebounds in each of the past three games.
4. The Rockets are 11-6 in games in which they lead by 10-plus points this
season.
5. Houston is 7-3 in games decided by five or fewer points this season.
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Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5