Spurs' Keldon Johnson on Late Turnovers vs. Blazers: 'It Starts With Me'
The San Antonio Spurs scrapped, clawed and nearly had a hard-fought road win over the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center Tuesday night.
But along with hot shooting late from Portland, it was three costly turnovers from Spurs forward Keldon Johnson that essentially iced the game, as the Blazers scored eight points off these turnovers in the final four minutes of the game before powering to a 117-110 win.
Even on a young Spurs team, Johnson is an undoubted leader for the group both through his stellar play and louder-than-life presence. But he wasted no time taking accountability for his late mistakes.
"We shot ourselves in the foot with turnovers, and it started with me," Johnson said, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. "As a leader, as one of the best guys on the team, I had some costly turnovers toward the end ... I am definitely accountable. I made some mistakes, and I own them.”
Johnson finished with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists while going 6 of 14 from the field and 4 of 9 from 3-point range. This has become the usual for Johnson, but his late-game mistakes -- which low-lighted 19 turnovers by the Spurs -- were far from ordinary.
He was called for an obvious travel with 4:07 left in the fourth that gave the Blazers possession and a 107-106 lead after former Spur Drew Eubanks converted an and-one.
Two possessions later, Johnson let a pass slip out of hands before Blazers guard Anfernee Simons nailed a tough step-back 3 that seemed to suck all life out of the Spurs. Johnson was then stripped by Josh Hart less than a minute later, who sailed the other way for an uncontested dunk.
Three of Johnson's four turnovers came in the closing stages when the Spurs needed him to step up most. But in a year of growth, the young star will surely learn quickly from a forgettable night as he continues to play like a candidate for Most Improved Player this season.
The Spurs (6-9) visit the Sacramento Kings (7-5) on Thursday at 9 p.m. CT.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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