Spurs Guards Power San Antonio Past Pacers 123-113

The Spurs played hard and led for most of the night, but couldn't create any separation against the league-worst Pacers.

With 2:30 left in the game, Indiana refused to quit and cut San Antonio's lead down to single digits. The Spurs fumbled through an offensive possession for about 20 seconds before De'Aaron Fox caught the ball at the logo and launched the grenade from 30 feet. Swish.

It's a good metaphor for a physical slog of a game that often looked ugly and never felt comfortable, but at the end of it San Antonio's talented guards were there to bail them out.

The Spurs won 123-113 behind 24 points from Fox, 22 from Dylan Harper, and 19 points and a near triple double from Stephon Castle. San Antonio needed it with Devin Vassell out and Victor Wembanyama nursing his hyperextended left knee back home.

"We didn't bring the appropriate amount of anything, really, energy, detail, execution, togetherness, and so, as these guys have done throughout the season, they've responded and adjusted and improved as the game goes on, and I think we saw that," said December's Western Conference Coach of the Month Mitch Johnson.

Indiana brought a physical edge, and the Spurs guards answered with speed and strength. Fox put his elbow into the ribs of just about every Pacers defender before hitting a mid-range jumper or floater over them.

Castle didn't have his most efficient game but he threw his body into the trees, cleaned the glass, got to the line and distributed well to his teammates. He tossed another lob to Luke Kornet who finished a face-melting poster.

LUKE KORNET SAID ON YOUR HEAD

WHAT IS HAPPENING
pic.twitter.com/mDBHwHTS1v
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 3, 2026

Harper used his craft and finesse as he got near a career high in scoring on 9-15 shooting. He wowed the crowd of Hoosiers with a crazy smooth shake and bake crossover.

When a visiting player makes a move so saucy the home crowd releases an involuntary “oooooh”

pic.twitter.com/oCZj5CJw9j
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 3, 2026

In a postgame chat Harper admitted he'd had a few rough games, and Sean Elliott told the rookie that it was alright to have an off night or two.

"I mean, not where we want to go," Harper said with a smile. "We all got big goals and aspirations, and I think the biggest thing for me is just, how do I show up every day?"

The Spurs have needed to focus on their process in a week where results have been inconsistent or just plain bad. For the fourth game in a row San Antonio shot the ball poorly, just 28% from beyond the arc in Indiana. Julian Champagnie hit a record-setting 11-17 in the comeback win over the Knicks, but Spurs not named Julian managed just 3-21. They hit 23% in their own gym in each of their losses against Utah and Cleveland.

Against the Pacers, San Antonio missed all 12 long-range shots they attempted as their lead shrank from 19 to just six. The Spurs stuck with their process anyway. Keldon Johnson started the fourth with a trio of triples assisted by Fox and Castle, then Harper got busy as a scorer as they pushed the game away from the danger zone.

"I thought the bench did a great job with just playing with a ton of energy," Johnson said. "And it's amazing when things start to go your way and when you put energy into the right places, the opportunities that arise."

The growth of this team is evident in how this game resulted in an ugly win and not a brutal loss, though they would have wanted to blow it out and get their main guys some extra rest before traveling back to San Antonio to face the Trail Blazers the next night.

In lieu of that Johnson will be pretty happy with how his trio of playmaking guards closed the game together. That doesn't mean he's satisfied.

"They're dynamic, they can make plays, they just need to continue to gain their wisdom, especially Steph and Dylan, which we want it all now, and there needs to be an appropriate runway to grow for anybody," Johnson said.

"When you play with the basketball in your hands, it comes with immense power and responsibility, and so the power of the pass, the power of togetherness, and the right time and place for those things, along with being devastating at getting to the paint and getting to the rim for yourself, it's just a balance they're going to have to continue to grow in," Johnson said. "And their intentions are pure, but we're on their butts to be perfect."

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