Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets – Game #57
De’Aaron Fox and the Spurs fell to the Rockets (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs didn’t put up much of a fight in their 118-106 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. The loss dropped the Spurs to a record of 24-33. It was San Antonio’s fourth consecutive defeat.
Things went sour for the good guys at warp speed. Eight minutes into the game, the Rockets were already up 26-9. The Spurs made some halfhearted runs but San Antonio never truly challenged again. The final score doesn’t paint the true picture of how much Houston dominated this matchup.
All in all, this was another disappointing loss for San Antonio. Being without Victor Wembanyama hurts but the lack of competitiveness is worrisome.
Stats: Spurs at Rockets
Spurs at Rockets – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
Fox is officially in an ugly slump. Over his last three games, he’s just 12-for-49 (24.5%) from the field and 3-for-21 (14.3%) from three-point range. Against the Rockets, he was 3-for-12 from the field and made matters worse by not making plays for others. His passing was poor and his reading of the court was really bad. Defensively, Fox didn’t bring much to the table, either. Even though he’s relatively new to the team, the former All-Star needs to step up and find his way out of his slump.
Grade: D-
Devin Vassell
For the second straight game, Vassell was terrible in the first half. In ten minutes of playing time before intermission, he was 0-for-3 from the floor and was invisible in other aspects of the sport. Vassell was much better after halftime but he needs to start putting together full games. As it stands, the Spurs can’t win when one of their go-to weapons is not playing half the game.
Grade: D
Chris Paul
The Rockets turned the pressure up on Paul and the 39-year-old didn’t respond well. He was only 1-for-5 from the field and wasn’t able to do as much playmaking as usual. Paul was also a liability on the other end of the court. Only in loose ball situations was he an asset.
Grade: D
Harrison Barnes
Barnes only played 18 minutes and was just 1-for-4 from the floor. His energy level was muted and his defensive effort was minimal. Barnes kept his mistakes to a minimum (in fact, he hasn’t turned the ball over in the last four games) but he needs to do more to help his club.
Grade: C-
Bismack Biyombo
Biyombo made a couple buckets, grabbed a few boards and set some tough screens. However, the Rockets basically ignored him on offense, which shrank the court for his teammates. On defense, Biyombo was efforting but his impact was lacking.
Grade: C-
Stephon Castle
Castle was one of the few bright spots for the good guys. He was 8-for-15 from two-point range on his way to 22 points. The rookie was very strong on the boards and worked hard on the defensive end. Even when things were going poorly, he kept the intensity high. Castle also finished without a turnover while providing much-needed playmaking. There were some negative areas (namely his 1-for-7 showing from three-point land and his overall shot-selection) but Castle continues to show his potential.
Grade: B+
Keldon Johnson
Even though the starters have struggled lately, Johnson has been thriving. He scored 22 points and was 8-for-10 from two-point territory and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. His attacking has been great and his strong finishes make everyone overlook his 0-for-3 shooting from downtown. Johnson’s decision-making has been good and he’s bringing tangible effort to the defensive end.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
The good: Champagnie was 3-for-3 on twos and was exceptionally active on defense, as evidenced by his three blocked shots. I liked his effort on the boards and his ability to keep his head up when his shots weren’t falling. The bad: Champagnie was 1-for-5 from three-point range. A few times his passing decisions were a beat or two slow.
Grade: B
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili made the most of his 20 minutes. While he was far from flawless, his hustle and relentlessness were unmistakable. Mamu wishes he shot straighter but his screens and movement on offense helped the cause. Defensively, he swiped three steals and never failed to scratch and claw.
Grade: B
Jeremy Sochan
In the first half, Sochan was rebounding well and his physical play was a breath of fresh air offensively. When his teammates were backing down, Sochan was willingly getting his hands dirty. Unfortunately, he missed the second half for precautionary purposes after taking a blow to the face.
Grade: B-
Blake Wesley
Wesley got some real minutes and did pretty good — all things considered. I liked his passing, particularly on pick-and-roll sets. Wesley sees the court well and can usually be counted on to make the right reads. Scoring-wise, his lack of touch continues to be an issue. Defensively, he didn’t look as speedy as normal — but that’s probably because he has played so little.
Grade: B
Malaki Branham
Branham got six garbage minutes but was only able to unfurl one shot attempt.
Grade: Inc.
Jordan McLaughlin
McLaughlin played five minutes in garbage time. He didn’t do much other than to show everyone that he’s a willing passer.
Grade: Inc.
Mitch Johnson
Well, it’s good that Johnson realized the starters were playing poorly. Riding his bench longer than usual was the right move. Going forward, Johnson might have to look at changing his starting lineup because winning with this group is proving to be quite difficult.
Grade: C-