How Spurs Battled Through Adversity in Late-Game Win Over Raptors

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Victor Wembanyama doesn't want to make excuses, but he really felt the impact of a lack of sleep heading to Canada. It's bothered him since Los Angeles.

"With all the time changes," he admitted late Wednesday night after a 110-107 win over the Toronto Raptors, "and coming late from Detroit, I wasn't recovered today. I need to do a better job getting my treatment in, getting more sleep. I couldn't sleep last night."

The San Antonio Spurs shot 13-for-23 from the free throw line during a game in which it trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half. Wembanyama's lack of sleep bled into his overall offensive production; he shot just 25 percent from the field.

Travel-induced challenges aren't lost on West's second-best squad by record.

"At this stage," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said two games prior in Austin, Texas. "We're just going to ... take it day-by-day. We know where we need to put our energy."

Currently on their annual month-long Rodeo Road Trip, the Spurs haven't played basketball in San Antonio since Feb. 7, when the Dallas Mavericks came to town for the second matchup between the two teams in three nights.

Wembanyama, especially, knows the struggles of being on the road for so long. It caught up to him against the Toronto Raptors as the Spurs searched for their 10th straight win. Ten missed free throws on the evening suggested he wasn't the only one.

"Thank God we got some rebounds," Dylan Harper joked.

San Antonio expected physical defense from the Raptors, who thrive on speeding teams up to increase turnovers and take control of the game's pace. Coupled with an overall lack of focus, the Spurs played chaser in the second half.

Once the fourth quarter came around, Johnson felt his team had overcome the early struggles it experienced. The Spurs erased their double-digit deficit with 7:41 left to play, but still had to close the contest. Johnson noted that change happened quickly.

"We started to play our brand of basketball," he said.

Harper headed to the line with 16 seconds to play amid a free throw-shooting contest. As a 72.8 percent shooter from the line on the season, missing both attempts was rare, but par for the course in Toronto. His offensive rebound on the second miss made up for it.

"Obviously, it's something we have to address," Wembanyama said. "But it can go up and down. We should have made more free throws, but I'm not concerned about it."

Added Johnson: "It's going to happen. It's human nature, but when push came to shove, I was happy to see us fight through a tough night in a few different ways."

Harper finished the game with 15 points and finished the game in crunch time as a reward for his offensive efficiency in lieu of Wembanyama.

Still, he won't take sole credit for the shooting support.

"We all can score," the rookie said in the locker room. "That's the beauty of this team. Every night is not going to be a big night. For us to come help out, it's big for us."

San Antonio continues its Rodeo Road Trip with the second night of a back-to-back in Brooklyn against the Nets Thursday evening. On top of its list will be making free throws, though without a practice day in between, extra reps won't help.

Instead, the Spurs plan to home in on the standard they've set for themselves; Johnson provided a self-explanatory fix from the charity stripe.

"Make more," the coach said. "It's a long season. You've got to continue to find ways to win. You've got to continue to do more of the things you can control."

Ten wins into their longest win streak since 2018-19, San Antonio knows how the narrative is being spun. While talks of a deep postseason run continue to loom over the inexperienced team, it will continue to stay grounded in its day-to-day routine.

Ironically in the city that never sleeps, the Spurs hope to add some shut eye to their itinerary.

"This is the most I've won in a long time," Harper said. "Having this win streak, building off that and not taking it for granted is a big thing for us. We're just trying to keep it going."