Spurs Rally in 4th Quarter to Best Wizards
The San Antonio Spurs are celebrating after outlasting the Washington Wizards, 132-127. The Spurs were down by 12 points with six minutes left, but Victor Wembanyama led a rally to come out on top.
Wembanyama was supposed to only play 20-24 minutes, but the late deficit the Spurs got themselves into forced him to play 28 minutes. The rookie added 24 points and six blocks.
San Antonio Spurs' rookie Victor Wembanyama (left) and Bilal Coulibaly (right) were teammates in France.
© Kyle Terada, USA TODAY (left), © Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY (right)
Jeremy Sochan added 21 points, and Tre Jones nearly notched a triple-double with 11 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists.
The Wizards' bench was easily their strength in the game. Rookie Bilal Coulibaly scored 14 points, and Corey Kispert gave 16. The only bench player for San Antonio who did well on offense was Keldon Johnson, who scored 19 points despite not making a three all night.
The Spurs' effiency was a key part of the win, they shot 38 percent from deep compared to Washington's 31 percent. The Spurs were able to win despite turning the ball over 17 times, the majority of which came in the second half.
Dominick Barlow did not play, and there are serious questions about his spot in the rotation with the return of Zach Collins, who has played in the last two games. Malaki Branham might also be facing a decrease in minutes soon, after recording only one basket and a turnover in four minutes of play. The sophomore guard from Ohio State did not play at all in the second half, and coach Gregg Popovich seems to prefer Blake Wesley as the lead guard for the second unit.
The Spurs next travel to take on the Philadelphia 76ers, on Monday. It will be Wembanyama's first matchup against reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
