Game ID: 22300083
Houston Rockets @ San Antonio Spurs
Friday, October 27, 2023 at 8:00 PM ET
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT1 Final
SAS 25 27 24 35 15 126HOU 23 29 31 28 11 122
HOU @ SAS ScoutingHOU @ SAS Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
SAS availability going into 10/25 · season opener
full strength
SAS availability going into 10/27 · 1 day's rest
full strength
SAS availability going into 10/29 · 1 day's restOUT Champagnie missed 2 since 10/25, returns tonight: 7 min (35% of 20)
OUT Wesley missed 2 since 10/25, returns tonight: 7 min (48% of 14)
OUT Graham missed 2 since 10/25, out tonight
OUT Barlow missed 2 since 10/25, returns tonight: 5 min (38% of 13)
SAS availability going into 10/31 · 1 day's restOUT Graham missed 3 since 10/25, out tonight
BACK Champagnie back 10/29 after 2, 7 min since (35% of 20)
BACK Wesley back 10/29 after 2, 7 min since (48% of 14)
BACK Barlow back 10/29 after 2, 5 min since (38% of 13)
NEW Collins 22 to 32 min over the last 3
SAS availability going into 11/02 · 1 day's restOUT Graham missed 4 since 10/25, out tonight
BACK Champagnie back 10/29 after 2, 5 min since (25% of 20)
BACK Wesley back 10/29 after 2, 7 min since (48% of 14)
BACK Barlow back 10/29 after 2, 5 min since (38% of 13)
NEW Collins 22 to 31 min over the last 4
SAS availability going into 11/05 · 2 days' restOUT Wesley missed 2 since 10/31, out tonight
OUT Graham missed 5 since 10/25, out tonight
OUT Barlow missed 2 since 10/31, out tonight
BACK Champagnie back 10/29 after 2, 5 min since (25% of 20)
NEW Collins 22 to 32 min over the last 5
HOU availability going into 10/25 · season opener
full strength
HOU availability going into 10/27 · 1 day's rest
full strength
HOU availability going into 10/29 · 1 day's rest
full strength
HOU availability going into 11/01 · 2 days' restOUT Whitmore missed 2 since 10/27, out tonight
OUT Holiday missed 2 since 10/27, returns tonight: 11 min (66% of 16)
OUT Landale missed 2 since 10/27, returns tonight: 19 min (140% of 14)
HOU availability going into 11/04 · 2 days' restOUT Eason missed 2 since 10/29, out tonight
OUT Whitmore missed 3 since 10/27, returns tonight: 1 min (7% of 19)
BACK Holiday back 11/01 after 2, 11 min since (66% of 16)
BACK Landale back 11/01 after 2, 19 min since (140% of 14)
HOU availability going into 11/06 · 1 day's restOUT Eason missed 3 since 10/29, out tonight
BACK Whitmore back 11/04 after 3, 1 min since (7% of 19)
BACK Holiday back 11/01 after 2, 15 min since (91% of 16)
BACK Landale back 11/01 after 2, 16 min since (114% of 14)
10/25 vs DAL 119-126 — SAS notes
SAS lost 119-126. SAS shot 52% (46 of 89) to DAL's 47%, 11 of 35 from three. SAS turned it over 19 times to DAL's 12. Vassell led with 23 (9 of 17, 1 of 6 from three); Johnson added 17, Jones 16. Q1 was theirs, 43-36, but the other 3 periods went 90-76 against them. They led by as many as 12.
10/27 vs HOU 126-122 — SAS notes
SAS won 126-122 in 1 overtime. SAS shot 49% (46 of 94) to HOU's 52%, 13 of 42 from three, and went to the line 28 times to HOU's 20 — 21 points from the stripe to their 10. Vassell led with 25 (7 of 13, 3 of 7 from three, 8 of 11 at the line); Wembanyama added 21, Johnson 20. The hinge was Q4, 35-28: SAS came in trailing by 7 and left it level. Jones was the night's best plus/minus at +14.
11/05 vs TOR — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 115 a night and allowing 121, shooting 48 percent and 36 from three, 20 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 21 and Vassell at 19 a game. 2 days' rest. Toronto comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 108, shooting 47 percent and 34 from three, 18 free throws a game; Barnes at 22 and Siakam at 17 a game. Without Freeman-Liberty (4 straight), Achiuwa (3 straight). 2 days' rest.
So: San Antonio wins, and the game turns on the defense, Toronto allowing 108 a night to San Antonio's 121 and the glass, where Toronto has been plus-2 a night and San Antonio minus-3. Call it San Antonio 113, Toronto 112, Toronto keeping it close.
10/25 @ ORL 86-116 — HOU notes
HOU lost 86-116. HOU shot 41% (32 of 79) to ORL's 48%, 12 of 34 from three, and got to the line 16 times to ORL's 26. The glass went 31-57 against them. VanVleet led with 14 (5 of 13, 4 of 6 from three); Sengun added 14, Brooks 14. Q2 was theirs, 23-25, but the other 3 periods went 91-63 against them. Thompson's -34 in 21 minutes was the worst on the floor.
10/27 @ SAS 122-126 — HOU notes
HOU lost 122-126 in 1 overtime. HOU shot 52% (52 of 100) to SAS's 49%, 8 of 32 from three, and got to the line 20 times to SAS's 28. Sengun led with 25 (11 of 18, 1 of 3 from three, 2 of 6 at the line); VanVleet added 24, Ja. Green 22. Q3 was theirs, 31-24, but the other 4 periods went 102-91 against them. They led by as many as 10. VanVleet's -9 in 45 minutes was the worst on the floor.
11/06 vs SAC — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Houston comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 111, shooting 46 percent and 37 from three, 20 free throws a game; Sengun at 18 and Brooks at 18 a game. It has lost the glass by 6 a night. Without Eason (3 straight). One day's rest. Sacramento comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 114, shooting 43 percent and 33 from three, 23 free throws a game; Fox at 31 and Sabonis at 17 a game. Without Fox (2 straight). One day's rest.
So: Houston wins, and the game turns on the arc, Houston at 37 percent from three to Sacramento's 33. Call it Houston 112, Sacramento 111, Sacramento keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
SASCB C. Bassey
CO C. Osman
DM D. McDermott
DV D. Vassell
JS J. Sochan
KJ K. Johnson
MB M. Branham
TJ T. Jones
VW V. Wembanyama
ZC Z. Collins
HOUAS A. Sengun
AT A. Thompson
BM B. Marjanović
DB D. Brooks
FV F. VanVleet
JG J. Green
JS J. Smith Jr.
JT J. Tate
JG Ja. Green
JG Je. Green
MA Marjanovic
RB R. Bullock Jr.
SAS/HOU the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Wembanyama makes tying basket in regulation, then earns his first NBA win as Spurs top Rockets in OT
SAN ANTONIO -- — San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama was unstoppable with his first NBA victory within reach of his 8-foot wingspan.
Wembanyama made the tying basket with 20 seconds left in regulation, the opening basket in overtime and finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds to help the Spurs beat the Houston Rockets 126-122 on Friday night.
“I really, really love winning,” Wembanyama said. “It’s what I love most in life. So, of course, it felt great. Coming back in the locker room, (coach Gregg Popovich) acknowledged that it was my first-ever NBA win. It just made me proud for a moment, proud of myself. Of course, it’s just one win and we’ve got a whole lot more to come and a whole lot more tough games to come.”
Wembanyama had 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks — two on Jabari Smith Jr. on one late possession — in the second half and overtime. He had four rebounds in overtime to help San Antonio seal the victory.
“That was big time,” Spurs center Zach Collins said. “He was dominant. Great moves. Got his body in him all night.”
Devin Vassell scored 25 points and Keldon Johnson added 20 for the Spurs, who lost to Dallas on Wednesday in Wembanyama’s highly anticipated debut and trailed late in this one before the No. 1 pick helped them pull it out.
Wembanyama’s layup while defended by Smith made it 111-all and his jumper sent San Antonio to a 6-0 run to begin OT.
“It’s tough,” Smith said. “He’s tall, athletic. Just try to do what you can, stay in front, try not to foul.”
Houston center Alperen Sengun scored 25 points, Fred VanVleet added 24 and Jalen Green had 22. The Rockets have dropped their first two games of the season.
The teams tied for the worst record in the Western Conference last season at 22-60, sharing the best lottery odds along with Detroit. The Spurs won it to get the No. 1 pick and Wembanyama, with the Rockets selecting Amen Thompson fourth.
Wembanyama was 7 for 19 from the field, including three resounding dunks. He also had back-to-back blocks on the same possession with two minutes remaining and Houston leading 107-104. Wembanyama met Smith at the rim to block an attempted dunk and then rushed back on the court to block Smith’s floater.
The Spurs bridged the third and fourth quarters on an 8-0 run after falling behind by 10 points. San Antonio committed seven turnovers in the third quarter and was outscored 31-24 in the period.
“We showed some composure and some not so composed,” Popovich said. “That’s a work in progress. The best thing about it was they were persistent. We got better and better as we adjusted to their physicality. The ball moved better, our defense improved a little bit, but we were pretty ordinary for about 2 1/2 to three quarters.”
Wembanyama had five points in the opening three minutes after a slow start in his NBA debut.
Wembanyama made his first field goal attempt, an 11-foot fadeaway jumper over Dillon Brooks on the game’s opening possession. After initially missing the 7-foot-3 forward running behind the defense, Johnson lobbed the ball into a crowd and Wembanyama grabbed it and threw it down.
Wembanyama would score only one more point in the first half as he went 2 for 10 from the field.
While Wembanyama finished with a flourish, it did not stop him from earning his first in-game tirade from Popovich in the fourth quarter.
“I forgot a play,” Wembanyama said, laughing. “Forgot one play that we added today, actually. It’s a rookie mistake. It was 100% legitimate for him to yell at me. I apologized after the game.”