Game ID: 22301025
Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs
Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
SAS 17 30 24 35 106PHX 26 39 38 28 131
PHX @ SAS ScoutingPHX @ 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 3/15 · 2 days' restOUT Osman missed 3 since 3/09, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 5 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Wembanyama back 3/11 after 2, 31 min since (105% of 30)
BACK Graham back 3/09 after 8, 8 min since (57% of 14)
SAS availability going into 3/17 · 1 day's restOUT Osman missed 4 since 3/09, returns tonight: 14 min (82% of 18)
OUT Cissoko missed 6 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Wembanyama back 3/11 after 2, 32 min since (107% of 30)
BACK Graham back 3/09 after 8, 8 min since (57% of 14)
NEW Champagnie 20 to 28 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 3/19 · 1 day's restOUT Graham missed 2 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Gray missed 2 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Duke Jr. missed 2 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 7 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Wembanyama back 3/11 after 2, 33 min since (111% of 30)
BACK Osman back 3/17 after 4, 14 min since (82% of 18)
NEW Vassell 33 to 39 min over the last 4
NEW Champagnie 20 to 27 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 3/22 · 2 days' restOUT Graham missed 3 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Gray missed 3 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Duke Jr. missed 3 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 8 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Wembanyama back 3/11 after 2, 33 min since (110% of 30)
BACK Osman back 3/17 after 4, 13 min since (72% of 18)
NEW Vassell 33 to 38 min over the last 5
NEW Jones 28 to 33 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 3/23 · back-to-backOUT Graham missed 4 since 3/15, returns tonight: 9 min (65% of 14)
OUT Gray missed 4 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Duke Jr. missed 4 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 9 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Osman back 3/17 after 4, 14 min since (80% of 18)
NEW Vassell 33 to 39 min over the last 5
NEW Jones 28 to 33 min over the last 5
SAS availability going into 3/25 · 1 day's restOUT Gray missed 5 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Duke Jr. missed 5 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 10 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Osman back 3/17 after 4, 15 min since (87% of 18)
BACK Graham back 3/23 after 4, 9 min since (65% of 14)
SAS availability going into 3/27 · 1 day's restOUT Gray missed 6 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Duke Jr. missed 6 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 11 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Osman back 3/17 after 4, 15 min since (86% of 18)
BACK Graham back 3/23 after 4, 9 min since (65% of 14)
SAS availability going into 3/29 · 1 day's restOUT Graham missed 2 since 3/25, out tonight
OUT Gray missed 7 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Duke Jr. missed 7 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 12 since 3/05, out tonight
SAS availability going into 3/31 · 1 day's restOUT Graham missed 3 since 3/25, returns tonight: 18 min (135% of 14)
OUT Gray missed 8 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Duke Jr. missed 8 since 3/15, out tonight
OUT Cissoko missed 13 since 3/05, out tonight
PHX availability going into 3/15 · back-to-backOUT Gordon missed 2 since 3/11, returns tonight: 26 min (92% of 28)
OUT Okogie missed 6 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Booker back 3/11 after 4, 38 min since (105% of 36)
NEW O'Neale 25 to 33 min over the last 5
PHX availability going into 3/17 · 1 day's restOUT Okogie missed 7 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Booker back 3/11 after 4, 37 min since (103% of 36)
BACK Gordon back 3/15 after 2, 26 min since (92% of 28)
PHX availability going into 3/20 · 2 days' restOUT Okogie missed 8 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Booker back 3/11 after 4, 38 min since (105% of 36)
BACK Gordon back 3/15 after 2, 24 min since (85% of 28)
PHX availability going into 3/21 · back-to-backOUT Okogie missed 9 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Booker back 3/11 after 4, 37 min since (103% of 36)
BACK Gordon back 3/15 after 2, 22 min since (80% of 28)
PHX availability going into 3/23 · 1 day's restOUT Okogie missed 10 since 3/03, returns tonight: 10 min (62% of 16)
BACK Gordon back 3/15 after 2, 23 min since (81% of 28)
PHX availability going into 3/25 · 1 day's restBACK Gordon back 3/15 after 2, 23 min since (81% of 28)
BACK Okogie back 3/23 after 10, 10 min since (62% of 16)
PHX availability going into 3/27 · 1 day's restBACK Okogie back 3/23 after 10, 10 min since (62% of 16)
PHX availability going into 3/29 · 1 day's restOUT Okogie missed 2 since 3/25, returns tonight: 14 min (88% of 16)
PHX availability going into 4/01 · 2 days' restBACK Okogie back 3/23 after 10, 12 min since (75% of 16)
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 107 a night and allowing 109, shooting 44 percent and 29 from three, 22 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 21 and Vassell at 19 a game. It has won the glass by 5 a night. Second night of a back-to-back. Phoenix comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 118 a night and allowing 116, shooting 51 percent and 42 from three, 16 free throws a game; Booker at 23 and Allen at 21 a game. It has won the glass by 10 a night. Without Okogie (10 straight). One day's rest.
So: Phoenix wins, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, Phoenix at 42 percent from three to San Antonio's 29 and the glass, where Phoenix has been plus-10 a night and San Antonio plus-5. Call it Phoenix 115, San Antonio 113, San Antonio keeping it close.
3/15 vs DEN 106-117 — SAS notes
SAS lost 106-117. SAS shot 46% (37 of 81) to DEN's 55%, 11 of 29 from three, and went to the line 27 times to DEN's 12 — 21 points from the stripe to their 9. Sochan led with 19 (8 of 16, 1 of 3 from three); Vassell added 17, Wembanyama 17. Q2 was theirs, 31-21, the deficit cut from 19 to 9, but the other 3 periods went 96-75 against them. Johnson's -13 in 26 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/17 vs BKN 122-115 — SAS notes
SAS won 122-115 in 1 overtime. SAS shot 46% (46 of 99) to BKN's 46%, 9 of 37 from three. SAS turned it over 17 times to BKN's 12, and BKN turned those into 13 steals. Wembanyama led with 33 (14 of 26, 1 of 7 from three, 4 of 6 at the line); Vassell added 25, K. Johnson 24. The hinge was OT1, 12-5: from level to 7 ahead. SAS trailed 55-56 at the half and won the second half 67-59. K. Johnson was the night's best plus/minus at +14.
3/19 vs DAL 107-113 — SAS notes
SAS lost 107-113. SAS shot 44% (39 of 89) to DAL's 48%, 14 of 39 from three. SAS turned it over 15 times to DAL's 9. Jones led with 22 (8 of 11, 4 of 5 from three); Vassell added 19, Johnson 14. Q3 was theirs, 28-26, the deficit cut from 9 to 7, but the other 3 periods went 87-79 against them. Vassell's -18 in 36 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/22 vs MEM 97-99 — SAS notes
SAS lost 97-99. SAS took 13 more shots (95 to 82), fed by 15 offensive rebounds, but shot 39% to MEM's 40%, 7 of 38 from three, and got to the line 23 times to MEM's 31. Wembanyama led with 31 (11 of 24, 3 of 12 from three, 6 of 10 at the line); Vassell added 27, Jones 16. Q1 was theirs, 30-18, but the other 3 periods went 81-67 against them. They led by as many as 17. Collins's -17 in 15 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/23 vs PHX 106-131 — SAS notes
SAS lost 106-131. SAS shot 47% (40 of 85) to PHX's 60%, 9 of 33 from three, and went to the line 21 times to PHX's 10 — 17 points from the stripe to their 8. SAS turned it over 15 times to PHX's 8, and PHX turned those into 11 steals. Johnson led with 14 (5 of 11, 0 of 5 from three); Wembanyama added 13, Wesley 12. Q4 was theirs, 35-28, the deficit cut from 32 to 25, but the other 3 periods went 103-71 against them. Vassell's -27 in 24 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/25 vs PHX — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 115, shooting 44 percent and 28 from three, 23 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 21 and Vassell at 18 a game. That is 3 straight losses. One day's rest. Phoenix comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 122 a night and allowing 112, shooting 54 percent and 44 from three, 16 free throws a game; Booker at 25 and Allen at 19 a game. That is 3 straight wins. It has won the glass by 7 a night. One day's rest.
So: Phoenix wins, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, Phoenix at 44 percent from three to San Antonio's 28 and the line, where San Antonio takes 23 free throws a game to Phoenix's 16. Call it Phoenix 117, San Antonio 113, San Antonio keeping it close.
3/27 @ UTA — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Utah comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 122, shooting 45 percent and 30 from three, 21 free throws a game; Markkanen at 26 and Sexton at 22 a game. That is 5 straight losses. Without Lofton Jr. (8 straight), Horton-Tucker (3 straight). One day's rest. San Antonio comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 107 a night and allowing 112, shooting 44 percent and 26 from three, 21 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 22 and Vassell at 20 a game. One day's rest.
So: Utah wins, and the game turns on the defense, San Antonio allowing 112 a night to Utah's 122. Call it Utah 115, San Antonio 114, San Antonio keeping it close.
3/29 vs NYK — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 111, shooting 45 percent and 31 from three, 21 free throws a game; Vassell at 21 and Wembanyama at 19 a game. One day's rest. New York comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 119 a night and allowing 104, shooting 50 percent and 41 from three, 17 free throws a game; Brunson at 26 and DiVincenzo at 23 a game. That is 3 straight wins. It has won the glass by 6 a night. Without Anunoby (5 straight). One day's rest.
So: New York wins, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, New York at 41 percent from three to San Antonio's 31 and the turnovers, San Antonio giving it away 15 times a game to New York's 10. Call it New York 114, San Antonio 109.
3/31 vs GSW — 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 111 a night and allowing 114, shooting 47 percent and 32 from three, 23 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 26 and Vassell at 22 a game. That is 3 straight wins. One day's rest. Golden State comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 110 a night and allowing 104, shooting 47 percent and 33 from three, 15 free throws a game; Curry at 23 and Thompson at 19 a game. That is 3 straight wins. It has won the glass by 7 a night. Without Kuminga (2 straight), Šarić (5 straight). One day's rest.
So: Golden State wins, on the road, and the game turns on the glass, where Golden State has been plus-7 a night and San Antonio minus-1 and the line, where San Antonio takes 23 free throws a game to Golden State's 15. Call it Golden State 114, San Antonio 112, San Antonio keeping it close.
3/15 @ CHA 107-96 — PHX notes
PHX won 107-96. PHX shot 46% (40 of 87) to CHA's 37%, 11 of 38 from three, and got to the line 20 times to CHA's 27. PHX turned it over 10 times to CHA's 4. Booker led with 21 (6 of 18, 1 of 8 from three, 8 of 8 at the line); Allen added 17, Beal 15. The hinge was Q3, 38-22: a lead of 9 became 25. Booker was the night's best plus/minus at +17.
3/17 @ MIL 129-140 — PHX notes
PHX lost 129-140. PHX shot 59% (51 of 87) to MIL's 54%, 14 of 33 from three. Beal led with 28 (11 of 15, 1 of 3 from three, 5 of 6 at the line); Allen added 25, Booker 23. Q3 was theirs, 34-27, the deficit cut from 22 to 15, but the other 3 periods went 113-95 against them. Nurkić's -17 in 20 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/20 vs PHI 115-102 — PHX notes
PHX won 115-102. PHX shot 50% (45 of 90) to PHI's 43%, 19 of 39 from three, and got to the line 8 times to PHI's 18. PHX turned it over 23 times to PHI's 9, and PHI turned those into 12 steals. The glass went 55-40 for them. Allen led with 32 (10 of 17, 9 of 15 from three); Durant added 22, Booker 18. The hinge was Q2, 39-24: PHX came in trailing by 2 and left it ahead by 13, and the lead reached 26. Allen was the night's best plus/minus at +20.
3/21 vs ATL 128-115 — PHX notes
PHX won 128-115. PHX shot 55% (41 of 74) to ATL's 44%, 22 of 41 from three. PHX turned it over 17 times to ATL's 8, and ATL turned those into 11 steals. Booker led with 30 (10 of 15, 6 of 8 from three); Gordon added 21, Durant 19. The hinge was Q2, 35-23: PHX came in trailing by 7 and left it ahead by 5. Bol was the night's best plus/minus at +21.
3/23 @ SAS 131-106 — PHX notes
PHX won 131-106. PHX shot 60% (56 of 94) to SAS's 47%, 11 of 24 from three, and got to the line 10 times to SAS's 21. PHX turned it over 8 times to SAS's 15. Booker led with 32 (14 of 24, 3 of 7 from three); Durant added 25, Beal 13. The hinge was Q3, 38-24: a lead of 18 became 32. Durant was the night's best plus/minus at +31.
3/25 @ SAS — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 115, shooting 44 percent and 28 from three, 23 free throws a game; Wembanyama at 21 and Vassell at 18 a game. That is 3 straight losses. One day's rest. Phoenix comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 122 a night and allowing 112, shooting 54 percent and 44 from three, 16 free throws a game; Booker at 25 and Allen at 19 a game. That is 3 straight wins. It has won the glass by 7 a night. One day's rest.
So: Phoenix wins, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, Phoenix at 44 percent from three to San Antonio's 28 and the line, where San Antonio takes 23 free throws a game to Phoenix's 16. Call it Phoenix 117, San Antonio 113, San Antonio keeping it close.
3/27 @ DEN — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Denver comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 115 a night and allowing 107, shooting 50 percent and 42 from three, 23 free throws a game; Jokić at 28 and Murray at 21 a game. That is 4 straight wins. Without Murray (2 straight). One day's rest. Phoenix comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 121 a night and allowing 113, shooting 55 percent and 46 from three, 15 free throws a game; Booker at 28 and Durant at 21 a game. It has won the glass by 7 a night. One day's rest.
So: Denver wins, and the game turns on the line, where Denver takes 23 free throws a game to Phoenix's 15 and the defense, Denver allowing 107 a night to Phoenix's 113. Call it Denver 116, Phoenix 112, Phoenix keeping it close.
3/29 @ OKC — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
OKC comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 116 a night and allowing 114, shooting 48 percent and 34 from three, 22 free throws a game; Gilgeous-Alexander at 22 and Jal. Williams at 21 a game. One day's rest. Phoenix comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 116 a night and allowing 105, shooting 53 percent and 47 from three, 14 free throws a game; Booker at 27 and Durant at 25 a game. It has won the glass by 8 a night. Without Okogie (2 straight). One day's rest.
So: OKC wins, and the game turns on the arc, Phoenix at 47 percent from three to OKC's 34 and the glass, where Phoenix has been plus-8 a night and OKC minus-1. Call it OKC 115, Phoenix 114, Phoenix keeping it close.
4/01 @ NOP — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
New Orleans comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 107 a night and allowing 102, shooting 45 percent and 37 from three, 24 free throws a game; McCollum at 25 and Williamson at 24 a game. Without Ingram (5 straight), Alvarado (2 straight). One day's rest. Phoenix comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 110, shooting 52 percent and 43 from three, 15 free throws a game; Booker at 26 and Durant at 26 a game. It has won the glass by 6 a night. 2 days' rest.
So: New Orleans wins, and the game turns on the line, where New Orleans takes 24 free throws a game to Phoenix's 15 and the arc, Phoenix at 43 percent from three to New Orleans's 37. Call it New Orleans 113, Phoenix 109, Phoenix keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
SASBW B. Wesley
CO C. Osman
DB D. Barlow
DG D. Graham
DV D. Vassell
JC J. Champagnie
JS J. Sochan
KJ K. Johnson
MB M. Branham
SM S. Mamukelashvili
TJ T. Jones
VW V. Wembanyama
ZC Z. Collins
PHXBB B. Beal
BB B. Bol
DB D. Booker
DE D. Eubanks
DR D. Roddy
EG E. Gordon
GA G. Allen
JN J. Nurkić
JO J. Okogie
KD K. Durant
NL N. Little
NU Nurkic
RO R. O'Neale
TY T. Young
SAS/PHX 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
Booker scores 32 points and Suns never trail in steamrolling Spurs 131-106
SAN ANTONIO -- — Devin Booker scored 32 points before sitting out the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Suns never trailed in steamrolling the San Antonio Spurs 131-106 on Saturday night to help their playoff positioning.
“He was first-class Devin Booker tonight,” Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said. “He was scoring, he was passing. In complete control of the game. Really strong performance by Book.”
Kevin Durant added 25 points for Phoenix, which never trailed and led by as many as 32. Bradley Beal had 13 points and a season-high 12 assists.
Victor Wembanyama had 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot in 21 minutes as San Antonio lost its third straight and eighth in 10 games. Keldon Johnson had 14 points.
Phoenix shot 59.6% in winning their eighth straight in San Antonio.
“I thought we had a little more contact and physicality in the second half, but you’re not going to stop Book and K.D. from doing what they’re doing and Bradley’s healthy now,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s a pretty tough trio. Our guys did everything they could, and you move on.”
The Suns have won three straight to improve to 13 games above .500 for the first time this season. The surge comes at an opportune time as Phoenix (42-29) is a half-game ahead of Dallas (41-29) for the sixth and final automatic playoff berth in the Western Conference.
“This is what we have been working for and toward all season,” Booker said. “I think the timing is right. It’s the meat of the season and it’s time to lock in and get prepared for postseason.”
Phoenix has a rematch with San Antonio on Monday as the Spurs conclude a season-high eight-game homestand. San Antonio has won just once during that stretch.
The Spurs (15-56) must win five of their last 11 games to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history – 20-62 in 1997. Of San Antonio’s remaining opponents, only Utah, Memphis and Detroit are currently not in the playoffs or play-in tournament.
Any chance the Spurs had of ending their skid diminished quickly.
“That’s what you want them all to look like when you get an early lead,” Vogel said. “To keep your foot on the gas and play the third quarter the way we did and go for a knockout punch, which we did.”
San Antonio opened the game shooting 4 for 17 from the field and had four turnovers.
To make matters worse, Booker had 12 points while shooting 5 for 9 from the field in the opening quarter.
Booker then opened the second half with consecutive 3-pointers as Phoenix took its biggest lead at the time at 70-47.
“I think it’s just everybody,” Booker said. “I think team defense, we found a rhythm and that directly translates to the offensive side of the ball. You don’t want to get complacent. We have a lot to work on, but we are taking steps in the right direction.”
The Suns, which came in averaging 117 points per game, had six players score in double figures. Bradley Beal and Bol Bol had 13 points each.
“It’s just simply switching up who initiates the ball sometimes,” Durant said. “Switching up who we want to be the scorer one play, who is setting the screen one play. We are all versatile players that can do everything on the offensive side of the floor. We utilized that and we played off one another. … It was a good flow tonight.”
After besting Bol in a jump ball, Wembanyama smoothly drained a 25-foot, step-back 3-pointer that trimmed the Suns’ lead to 36-24 with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Wembanyama had 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and a block, but the Spurs trailed 65-47 at the half.
Wembanyama finished 5 for 7 from the field.
“It’s a team effort with him,” Durant said. “You can’t guard him one on one. He’s a load. He’s tough."
Booker and Durant, who received a bottle of wine from Popovich after the game, both sat out the final quarter. Booker and Durant played for Popovich and won a gold medal with Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics.
San Antonio is 5-19 in back-to-backs, including 2-10 in the second game.