Keldon Johnson's Career Night Leads Spurs to Win vs. Nets
On Tuesday night, the San Antonio Spurs (14-31) ended a five-game losing streak using a 106-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets (27-16).
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were not available to play, but Ben Simmons returned to the Nets' lineup after a one-game absence. Not having either of their two superstar scorers proved to be too much to overcome. None of Brooklyn's players cracked the 20-point threshold, and the team shot 3-23 from 3-point range with 21 turnovers.
“I don’t care,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the Nets not having Durant or Irving available to play. “Everybody has people out now and then. So don’t even go there."
The Spurs began the game with a 27-15 lead through one quarter, but the Nets answered back by having a 12-point scoring differential in their favor during the second period. San Antonio created some separation after the break by holding Brooklyn below 20 points in another quarter, as they scored just 17 in the third.
Keldon Johnson played an integral role in leading the Spurs to victory with a career-high 36 points and 11 rebounds. Despite his struggles from beyond the arc, he converted from deep to give San Antonio an 87-82 lead late in the game. He then dunked on Nic Claxton to extend the lead to seven.
“It felt great. I can’t lie,” Johnson said regarding his late made 3-pointer. “They called timeout right after that. I was hyped. My coaches and teammates put the ball in my hands, and I just make something happen.”-
Without Devin Vassell healthy, the Spurs have needed even more from Johnson. He provided a big performance to help set the tone, to say the least. Sochan (16 points) was the only other player to reach the 15-point threshold for San Antonio, but Tre Jones (13 points) and Jakob Poeltl (12 points) combined for another 25.
“A ton of energy, a ton of confidence, that’s who Keldon is,” Spurs rookie forward Jeremy Sochan said. “He is great. We all trust him.”
The Spurs are back in action on Friday when they take on the LA Clippers at AT&T Center.
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