Key Player Ruled OUT in Spurs-Rockets

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If it wasn't bad enough already, the San Antonio Spurs lost another player in the second half of their contest against the Houston Rockets Wednesday afternoon.
Jeremy Sochan, after taking a hit to the head in the first half, was ruled out for "precautionary" reasons according to ESPN's Michael C. Wright. He left the game and did not return.
The Spurs struggled to keep it close against the Rockets, finishing with a 118-106 road loss, while Sochan notched seven points and five rebounds in just 12 minutes before exiting the contest.
Jeremy Sochan took a hit to the head and for precautionary reasons he’s out for the remainder of tonight’s game, per the Spurs.
— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) February 27, 2025
After losing 21-year-old superstar Victor Wembanyama to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder and Gregg Popovich — for the remainder of the season — to a mild stroke and Charles Bassey to a bone bruise in his left knee, the Spurs were already spread thin.
Considering their deficiency in the rebounding department, Sochan wasn't an ideal scratch to top things off.
"I think the rebounding is obviously a little bit disproportionate," Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson admitted after his team's 20-point loss to the Pelicans on Sunday, "just because of how many shots we missed."
Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson after a second straight loss to the #Pelicans: "Our margin for error is just zero right now."
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) February 26, 2025
He emphasized a need to lessen small errors in the final stretch of this season. #PorVida
As the season carries on, the Spurs will be in an uphill battle with the rest of the Western Conference. Currently, they sit at 24-32 with a likely fourth-straight loss coming their way against the Rockets, putting them even further behind the No. 10 seed and the Play-In Tournament.
Their size issues won't be fixed overnight; this season, even. But without Wembanyama, San Antonio will have to search hard for a solution to fill the gap he leaves in hopes it materializes.
Wednesday didn't turn out to be that night.
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Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI. In the world of professional sports, he’s a firm believer that athletes are people, too. He aims to spotlight the true, behind-the-scenes character of players and teams through strong narrative writing and sharp, hooking ledes.
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