Spurs Get Back on Track After Beating Nets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Dec 27, 2024 10:02 PM ET

On Friday night, the San Antonio Spurs bounced back from two straight losses to beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-87. The Spurs scored only 11 points in the first quarter but were able to jumpstart their offense with a 12-0 run to start the second quarter and they never looked back.

Victor Wembanyama followed up his 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks on Christmas with 19 points, seven rebounds, six blocks, and four assists. He headed to the locker room after taking an incidental shot to the face in the third quarter but was able to finish the game.

Julian Champagnie was red-hot off the bench, shooting 5-7 from 3-point range and finishing with 18 points. The Nets, on the other hand, were led by Keon Johnson's 25 points.

Noah Clowney ejected with 4:01 left in the game after getting two technical fouls, although it wasn't as dramatic as Joel Embiid's ejection to kick off the week. He finished with five points off the bench for Brooklyn.

Zach Collins, Charles Bassey, and Sandro Mamukelashvili did not suit up for the Spurs, with acting head coach Mitch Johnson once again opting to play small-ball lineups when Wembanyama sits. This has only added to trade speculation.

Devin Vassell, who has struggled to shoot well recently, made 40 percent of his shots from deep and finished with 10 points. He has been recovering from various lower-body injuries all season, so a slow start in his 16 games this season should be expected, although he is finding his groove in the starting lineup.

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This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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