Spurs' Gregg Popovich Praises Jeremy Sochan's Defense on Kevin Durant

Jeremy Sochan led the San Antonio Spurs to victory against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.

The San Antonio Spurs are fired up after a 104-102 win against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night inside the Frost Bank Center.

The win came after a 25-point loss to the Suns on Saturday where the team had Victor Wembanyama in the lineup. But as Wembanyama sat out of Monday's contest, Jeremy Sochan stepped up, leading the team with 26 points and 18 rebounds.

Jeremy Sochan, Kevin Durant

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"[Kevin Durant] is such a difficult matchup for everybody," coach Gregg Popovich said postgame. "He's one of the greatest ever, and Jeremy [Sochan] never stopped working his butt off. He's very physical and did everything he could to guard a great player. He deserves a lot of credit. He also hit the boards for us. ... He was very special.”

The win secured the season series victory for the Spurs after splitting the two-game series in San Antonio. Back in late October and early November, the Spurs grabbed a pair of wins against them in Phoenix.

"It's just good to have a win," Sochan said postgame. "Good to have a win [with] the season we have had. So, against a team like that, we ended with three wins and one loss against them. So, I think that shows a lot and just feels good to get a good team win and have good energy around the locker room."

Beating a playoff contender like the Suns three times out of four during the season is definitely a sign that something is working in San Antonio. Maybe all the pieces haven't been put together yet, but some of the puzzle has and it's a sign that the team can grow and develop moving forward.

The Spurs are back in action tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.