Hard work appears to be paying off for Spurs shooting guard Bryn Forbes

Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News wonders if Spurs shooting guard Bryn Forbes can retain the deft stroke he showed in the Spurs’ recent 135-133 double overtime defeat of the Rockets. 

Forbes nabbed 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including a sparkling 5-of-6 from deep.

If Forbes can shoot well enough, he should remain entrenched as the Spurs’ starting two-guard. Forbes expressed confidence that he could. 

“I’ve put in a lot of work,” Forbes said, “and I don’t do it to miss shots.” 

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

• Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks‘ 7-foot-3 sharp-shooting, shot-blocking “Unicorn,” has adapted his game since being traded from the Knicks. The explosiveness of his triple-doubling teammate Luka Doncic has impacted how KP can best help in Dallas. The Athletic’s Shams Charania unpacks how the 24-year-old Porzingiz has adapted his shot profile and playmaking after signing a five-year, $158M extension in July. “Some nights I get more opportunities and some nights I don’t get as many opportunities,” Porzingis told Charania. “But most nights, we give Luka the ball and let him go.”
• Ahead of what would become a 115-109 Rockets victory Saturday night, Rockets guard Austin Rivers had high praise for Suns coach Monty Williams. Williams served as Rivers’ first head coach when both were with the Pelicans (then the Hornets). The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen quotes Rivers as crediting Williams with helping to develop his defense. “I’ll tell you, in terms of on-the-ball defense, I think I’m as good as anybody,” Rivers reflected. “I really do give credit to Monty. He was so on me about defense, it’s all I thought about.” Rivers re-signed with the Rockets this summer on a two-year,$4.5M veteran’s minimum contract.