3 Takeaways: David Jones Garcia Shines, Spurs Win Third Straight 'By Committee'

SAN ANTONIO — It's rare, but the San Antonio Spurs lost the opening tip.

Without Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Jordan McLaughlin, the undermanned squad played host to the Atlanta Hawks with a chance to extend its win streak to three games for the third time this season.

By halftime, it was well on pace to do so.

"I don't know if we ran one set play down the stretch," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson admitted. "Could be a bad thing, but tonight it was because we were getting stops."

Despite a barrage of 3-pointers from Atlanta in the third quarter and beyond, San Antonio maintained its lead en route to a 135-126 victory.

Here are three takeaways from the well-timed victory:

Have A Night, David Jones Garcia

In only his fifth appearance of the season, David Jones Garcia earned his stripes.

While Castle, Harper and McLaughlin were sidelined, the 23-year-old rookie made it a point to shake off the nerves he felt prior to tipoff. Facilitation wasn't going to fall solely on him, but he and Fox were certainly up to bat.

Nineteen game minutes later, Jones Garcia tallied 12 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals, matching Fox in the latter defensive category. It was, no doubt, a dream come true for the young point guard.

"Most definitely," he said. "I'm proud of myself."

Oct 10, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward David Jones Garcia (25) reacts after scoring during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Frost Bank Center. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Spurs have reason to lean on Jones Garcia as the rest of their point guard corps gets healthy. As he continues to get comfortable with NBA speed, his rhythm will only improve. But his team already likes where he is.

"He's a heckuva kid," Johnson said. "He has this way about him where the guys love him. He's got tons of energy and personality, but he's also competitive; he's also got some fearlessness. As long as he can continue to put the work in and hopefully keep buying what we're selling, we can continue to see him improve."

Another Victory 'By Committee'

The Spurs often practice what they preach. Thursday night, it was a win by committee.

Every player who logged more than five minutes scored, and six reached double figures. On the evening, the Spurs out-rebounded, out-assisted and out-scored the Hawks in the paint. They also committed fewer turnovers and fewer fouls.

"We're trying to gel together as quickly as possible," Fox said, "and it's great winning games while you're doing it ... we definitely feel like there's something special."

Julian Champagnie, back in the starting lineup with Castle, Wembanyama sidelined, notched 20 points on five 3s while Fox led the way in scoring with 26. Keldon Johnson, meanwhile, added 25; Harrison Barnes and Devin Vassell combined for 31.

Moving forward, it presents a good problem for Mitch Johnson.

“Sometimes you feel like you have a lot of guys," the coach said. "Sometimes you feel like you have not as many. It’s a long season — we’re going to need everybody.”

Winning Without Wemby

After Thursday's victory, the Spurs improve to 11-4 on the season and secure their third three-game win streak of the season.

A day after San Antonio announced that Wembanyama will be sidelined for several weeks with a calf strain, a pair of other guards underwent MRIs.

Castle, who complained of hip pain following the Spurs' home bout with the Sacramento Kings, was revealed to have a left hip flexor strain. Tests revealed McLaughlin, who suffered a leg injury during practice Monday morning, has a hamstring strain.

Castle will miss one-to-two weeks while recovering; no official timetable has been provided for McLaughlin. Thursday marked the third straight absence for Wembanyama and the second for Castle. But given the success the Spurs have found in the interim, they can afford to let him heal.

They expect to be even better when he returns.

"We're playing lineups that we haven't even practiced with," Fox said. "We see what can be done. We've had so many guys miss time, and we're still finding ways to win games. So when everybody's back, that's what we're continuing to expect."