A 4 Game Write-Up - Game 25 - Spurs Comeback From Large Deficit To Steal a Win at Blazers - Game 26 - Spurs Lose at Home to Timberwolves - Game 27 Spurs Win OT Thriller v Hawks - Game 28 Spurs Beat Blazers Convincingly

12-13-24 
NBA Game 25 Video Recap Link Spurs at Blazers 118-116 W

Victor Wembanyama scored 28 points and sank two clutch free throws with 2.1 seconds left, propelling the San Antonio Spurs to a narrow 118-116 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Jerami Grant tied the game at 116 with a late layup, but then fouled Wembanyama, who sealed the win for the Spurs at the free-throw line.

The Blazers had surged ahead by as many as 17 points in the final quarter, but the Spurs rallied to tie the game at 109 on a Jeremy Sochan free throw before Julian Champagnie's clutch 3-pointer put San Antonio in front with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Plagued by injuries, the short-handed Spurs were down to just 11 available players and lost veteran guard Chris Paul in the first half after he was ejected for two technical fouls.

The Spurs led 52-42 at halftime, but Grant fueled a Blazers comeback, scoring 22 of his game-high 32 points in the third quarter to even the score at 60. Portland carried an 88-80 lead into the final period and extended it to 105-88 with under 8 minutes to play, but the Spurs rallied late.

Grant's stellar shooting performance, going 8-for-10 from beyond the arc to match his season high in 3-pointers, was not enough as Devin Vassell's 23 points off the bench helped lift the Spurs. Anfernee Simons also scored 30 points for the Blazers in the losing effort.

Takeaways:

• Spurs were missing several key players due to injuries, including Stephon Castle, Zach Collins, Keldon Johnson and Tre Jones.
• Blazers rookie Donovan Clingan made his return after missing seven games with a left knee sprain.
• The Spurs' loss of Chris Paul to an early ejection left them with just 10 available players for much of the game.

Here is The Points Created for the Spurs Road Win at Blazers:
Points Created Game 25 Road Win Spurs@Blazers 118-116

I often say that Points Created is pretty flexible in it's ability to pull data from the box scores. I have run quarter by quarter stats as an ANATOMY OF A WIN OR LOSS SESSION.

For this game, I am adding the 3rd Quarter which was dominated by the Blazers and then also the 4th Quarter which shows what the Spurs did to comeback and steal the W!

Points Created 3rd Quarter Only Blazers Own This Quarter

And for the Spurs to comeback, they needed to dominate by being efficient offensively while playing stifling defense and if you look at the stats, you will see THEY DID THAT!

Points Created 4th Quarter Only Spurs Dominate Then Steal W

Spurs get to 13 Wins with 12 Losses - 57 More Games to Go.
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12-15-24

NBA Game 26 Video Recap Link Spurs v T-Wolves 96-102 L

Anthony Edwards poured in 26 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised past the San Antonio Spurs 106-92 on Sunday night.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 17 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, who have now won two straight and five of their last seven games.

For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama tallied 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Jeremy Sochan contributed 17 points and 15 boards. Harrison Barnes also scored 17 points in the loss.

San Antonio made a push in the second half, opening the third quarter on a 20-9 run to trim Minnesota's lead to just 61-57. However, the Timberwolves responded by outscoring the Spurs 30-22 in the final period to seal the victory.

The Spurs were unable to complete another comeback, after rallying from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Portland on Friday.

Minnesota's defense was the difference, forcing 10 turnovers and scoring 13 second-chance points to build a comfortable 16-point lead in the first half.

Key Takeaways:

• Timberwolves rookie Rob Dillingham scored his first points against San Antonio after being traded from the Spurs.
• Jeremy Sochan made his second straight start for the Spurs after returning from injury.
• Minnesota regained control of the game with a 10-2 run bridging the third and fourth quarters.
• The Spurs struggled mightily from 3-point range, shooting just 11-for-45 (24.4%) after entering the game at 35% from deep

Points Created for Game 26 Home Loss Spurs v Wolves 92-106

Spurs record is now 13-13 with 56 Games to go.

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12-19-24

NBA Game 27 Recap Video Link Spurs v Hawks 133-126 W

In a thrilling overtime battle, Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to a 133-126 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night. The 7-foot-4 phenom scored 8 of his game-high 42 points in the extra period, showcasing his offensive versatility. 

Wembanyama shot an impressive 13-for-24 from the field, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc. He also contributed 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals, demonstrating his all-around impact. 

De'Andre Hunter paced the Hawks with 27 points, while Trae Young recorded a double-double with 23 points and 16 assists. Jalen Johnson added 22 points for Atlanta.

For the Spurs, Devin Vassell chipped in 23 points, and Jeremy Sochan scored 20. Chris Paul made his presence felt in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 10 of his 12 points, including a crucial four-point play that helped San Antonio force the extra session.

Vassell's return to the starting lineup after missing the first 9 games due to offseason foot surgery marked the first time the Spurs' projected starting unit took the floor this season.

In the loss, Hawks rookie Dyson Daniels, who was averaging 13.4 points, was held to just 4 points on 2-of-6 shooting, with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.

Wembanyama's performance continued his impressive start to the season, as the 19-year-old has now scored 30 or more points in 13 of his 92 career games, and is now averaging 23.7 points per game, surpassing his 21.4 points per game average from his rookie campaign.

Here is the link for the entire game:
Points Created for Game 27 Home OT Win Spurs v Hawks 133-126 W

Here is the link for the OT period only:
Points Created Overtime Only for Spurs Home Win v Hawks

Spurs now at 14-13 with 54 Games in The Season

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12-21-24
NBA Game 28 Recap Video Link Home Win Spurs v Blazers 114-94 W

Victor Wembanyama's dominant performance led the San Antonio Spurs to a decisive 114-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. The 7-foot-4 phenom scored 30 points and tied his career high with 10 blocks, showcasing his immense talent at both ends of the court.

Wembanyama also contributed 7 rebounds before sitting out the final 8.5 minutes, as the Spurs cruised to their largest margin of victory this season. The 19-year-old Frenchman made history, becoming the first player with 4 three-pointers and 10 blocks in a single NBA game, and the first sub-21 player with multiple double-digit block games since the league began tracking the stat in 1974.

Charles Bassey added 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Devin Vassell scored 11 points, as the Spurs extended their winning streak against the Trail Blazers to four games. San Antonio has now won 4 of its last 5 and sits at 15-13 on the season, a significant improvement from last year's pace.

Despite 25 points from Shaedon Sharpe and 18 from Anfernee Simons, the Trail Blazers struggled mightily from three-point range, shooting just 12-of-43 (28%) as a team. Portland has now lost 9 of its last 11 games, snapping a brief two-game winning streak.

Key stat: Wembanyama has recorded a block in 62 consecutive games, surpassing the Spurs franchise record set by Hall of Famer David Robinson. He also became the 15th fastest player in NBA history to reach 200 career three-pointers, accomplishing the feat in just 94 games.

Did you see all 10 Blocks?
Count All 10 Blocks by Wembanyama!
Credit to Ruel Friola

Here is The Points Created Link for this win.

Points Created For Game 28 Home Win Spurs v Blazers 114-94 W

You may notice as you check the Points Created spreadsheet and see Red and Orange Bolded Player Stats. Red Means Best Player(s) and Orange means Best Support Player(s). The guys that go EN FUEGO! Are the ones who have reached at least 1.000 Positive Point Per Minute of Play. That's great efficiency. 

Spurs are now 15-13 and in a Play-In Spot currently. There's 53 Regular Season Games left in the season. 

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Thanks for taking the time to read this 4 Game Points Created Blog Report. I enjoy using these stats to help find out which players are doing well no matter how many minutes they get to play. Per Minute Stats show Efficiency while Per Game Stats show Output. 
Our Spurs are finally healthy and with that, who knows if they can make that next surge up. It looks like things are in motion. GO SPURS GO!