SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs opened up their 2022-23 season with a home loss to the Hornets, 129-102.
Keldon Johnson had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the team while Tre Jones added 14 points and two blocks. Jakob Poeltl finished with 14 points and nine rebounds and Doug McDermott added 12 points off the bench in the loss.
The Spurs are 0-1 to start the new season and will next face the Pacers on the road Friday night.
Here's a sample of what the teams said after the game courtesy of the Spurs.
SPURS
Gregg Popovich
"You start with the fact we got thumped. You don't avoid it. You don't hide from it. We got our butts kicked. From there you can look to improve," said Popovich. "What it's going to take at this level: The physicality. That sort of thing. It improved a little bit in the second half but it's a process."
Jones
"I feel like we came out a little soft. They hit us in the mouth early. We were fighting from behind the entire night," said Jones. "I think coming out stronger and not playing from behind the entire game. We got to learn from it."
McDermott
"It wasn't our best," McDermott said. "We just got to be better. It's a small margin for error in this league. You can go on some runs but they can be taken away really quickly. We just got to watch the film. We got 81 (games) more."
Johnson
"I think that if we can be more consistent like that third quarter and make some more runs and clean up on the defensive end I think we'll be in pretty good shape going forward," Johnson said. "We just got to stay solid. Stay steady."
HORNETS
Head coach Steve Clifford
“Yeah, I think so. Good, pretty balanced play. The turnovers in the third quarter were a problem," Clifford said. "We got some good play from the starters. when we subbed in the first half, we sustained the play."
Nick Richards
“It feels good. It’s a good start for us as a team. It’s a great building block for us. We can always get better for this game," Richards said. "We’re happy for the win, but it’s just one game. 81 more to go."
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