SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs built an early lead against the visiting Hawks, got 20 points or more from their four best guys, and even survived the third quarter, but it wasn't enough as they suffered their 13th consecutive loss.
Jeremy Sochan led the way for San Antonio with a career-high 33 points on just 14 shots, and Victor Wembanyama added 21 points, 12 boards and 4 blocks. San Antonio shot the ball well, but they turned it over 21 times in the loss.
Wembanyama made his first appearance on the injury report all season, listed as questionable before the game with hip tightness.
Many were concerned about the 7'3" teen's durability given his height, his thin frame, and the injuries that tend to afflict players built in such a way. However, the star rookie has managed to play in each and every game so far i part by working on conditioning, injury prevention and flexibility.
"He came with great preparation habits already, so it's not something we had to do with him," said his head coach, Gregg Popovich. "He's very professional in all respects before he even got here."
Pop said Wemby was a game-time decision, but the team announced that he would be available shortly before he came out of the tunnel. The Frenchman's agent and father were both at the arena for this one.
Devin Vassell came off the bench for the fourth game in a row after missing a week with a groin injury.
San Antonio's most recent All Star Dejounte Murray got a mostly warm welcome from Spurs fans. To start the game Keldon drilled a three over his former teammate, who came down the other end and returned the favor with a deuce.
Wembanyama pushed in transition, dribbled through Clint Capela and muscled in for an and-1. Wemby lined up a three ball at the top of the arc and drained it.
Keldon scored inside, then Wemby whipped a pass to Collins for an easy score at the rim. Wembanyama deterred a shot, Jeremy Sochan drove and dished to Collins for a three that ripped through the net.
Wembanyama tipped a pass with his big long arms for a steal, then drove on Capela again. The veteran big man stopped the first attempt, but the rook got it back and popped it in to put San Antonio up 18-7.
The Spurs came out of the timeout in a zone defense, Branham grabbed a steal and got it up to Sochan for a transition dunk.
Keldon crossed over, dribbled through a few Hawks and laid it in over the help defender. Wemby put Capela on skates for a fading 19-footer, then blocked him at the basket on the other end.
Vassell has been taking and making tough shots for this team all year, and dribbled into a contested mid-range j that he drained. Charles Bassey rose up for an emphatic block and Tre Jones whipped a laser across the court to Julian Champagnie for a three. Vassell saved a pass into the corner and hit Champagnie on the wing for another.
Bassey blocked another layup attempt, then grabbed an offensive rebound that gave the Spurs another possession ending in a Champagnie three. Atlanta called timeout down 15. The Hawks closed the quarter with a 6-0 run to make it 35-26.
That run continued into the second quarter as the Spurs coughed it up a few times and Atlanta clawed to within five before Cedi Osman drilled one from the corner. Trae Young tried to get tricky on a drive but Wemby stuffed him, and Sochan threw a touchdown pass to Vassell.
The Hawks trimmed it to four, and Pop called time. The run continued and Atlanta took the lead before a transition reverse from Sochan. Wemby ripped a steal and found Keldon who missed the layup, but the rookie was right there to thrill the crowd with a putback slam.
Collins found Keldon for a nifty layup, then Collins dished to Sochan for a cutting dunk.
Tre Jones picked Murray up full court and stuck with him through physical play, much to the delight of the fans. When he fought around a moving screen and forced the ref to call it on Capela, Jones was stoked and so was the crowd.
Keldon drove and kicked to Sochan for a corner three, then Vassell drove and kicked to Sochan in the other corner where he drove for a hook shot. Jones nearly turned it over but Sochan plucked it out of a Hawks player's clutches and power dribbled into a dunk.
KJ got hit on a triple and swished all the free throws. to close the half Vassell dribbled into a preposterous fadeaway and knocked it down to put San Antonio up 66-62 heading into halftime.
Sochan found Keldon in the corner to start the second half, and when the Hawks pushed in front Keldon dribbled into an elbow jumper to tie it.
KJ tried to get between Murray and the rim on a transition attempt and got smushed between DJ and Collins on a play that looked painful.
Wemby stonewalled Young on a drive, then ran the floor for an easy dunk. Sochan used some smart post moves to get Murray in the air and then finish around him.
Wemby swished a fadeaway, then Branham drove in for a scoop layup. Sochan swished from the corner, then Wembanyama dimed him down low for free throws.
Atlanta went to a zone defense right as Julian Champagnie came in, and he popped the cork on his fourth triple of the game. Vassell hit from the top of the arc. A few possessions later he swished from the corner, then he drove in transition for an impressive finish through a foul to put the Spurs back in front by double digits.
Trae Young went on a quick run, interrupted by a rare triple from Tre Jones. Vassell got fouled on a tough fader and hit the free throws, then Young swished an impossible jumper over Wemby.
The Spurs typically struggle in third quarters, but in this one they tied the Hawks 39-39 and held a four-point advantage heading to the fourth.
Jones ran a pic and roll and lobbed it to Wembanyama, who finished through a foul. Keldon guarded Trae Young on an island and poked it off his feet to force a turnover. Champagnie hit his fifth triple and the crowd erupted, then Vassell swished another as well.
Sochan set a screen off ball for Vassell and cut to the basket where Collins found him for his seventh assist of the game. Pop called time after Atlanta cut it to 3.
Keldon failed to dunk home a lob and the Hawks answered with a triple to tie. Murray pulled up in the paint to put the visitors ahead. Wemby checked back in with just under six minutes to play and the Spurs looking for a spark.
Sochan pushed hard and laid it up and in to end a scoreless streak that lasted four minutes. Wemby caught it on a short roll and whipped it over his head to Sochan on a cut for a dunk to tie the game.
Young hit free throws and then found Capela open for a dunk as San Antonio's offense faltered.
Sochan drove and hit Vassell for three. Murray hit a huge against his former team, then Sochan scooped it to Collins for a layup. Young banked in a jumper to put the Hawks up four, and Pop called time.
Sochan pumped and drained a triple from the corner as the foul game took over. Keldon scored inside to make it a two-point game with 6.1 to play.
Sochan poked the ball away on the ensuing inbound, but got called for a charge as he drove in on Trae Young. The Spurs fell 137-135, their 13th loss in a row.