The San Antonio Spurs fell to the Miami Heat 117-120, in a contest where turnovers and inconsistent offense played major factors in the loss. Jeremy Sochan led the Spurs with 18 points and 11 rebounds but also tied for the second most turnovers on the team (3) alongside Stephon Castle who had 6 points and 5 assists. Careless mistakes on the offensive end provided Miami with 25 points off the Spurs’ 21 turnovers.
Chris Paul bounced back with 13 points and 5 assists but ended with a team-high 6 turnovers in the loss and was a -7 for the game. Keldon Johnson was one of the lone bright spots for the Spurs as he accumulated 15 points and 5 rebounds while leading the charge for the second unit providing a rejuvenated energy that was truly lacking most of the game.
In 17 minutes Victor Wembanyama scored 8 points to go along with 7 rebounds but was a -9 and statistically tied for the worst (+/-) along with Blake Wesley. Rather than break down each specific player’s post-game statistics against the Heat, let's delve into the overall team metrics that stood out in the loss.
Low Points Of The Game
The Spurs went 9/30 from three only shooting 30 percent from beyond the arc.
The Spurs shot 69% from the free-throw line and went 20-29.
The Spurs committed 21 total turnovers which converted into 25 points for the Heat.
The Spurs’ largest lead of the game was only 3 points versus the Heat’s 12.
Although the Spurs were inconsistent on both ends of the floor against the Heat, some team statistics would be a welcome sight.
High Points Of The Game
The Spurs dominated with points in the paint over the Heat 64-48. Jeremy Sochan was the recipient of many passes in the paint.
The Spurs led the Heat in the rebounding category 50-36 with 8 offensive rebounds and 42 defensive rebounds.
The Spurs shot 55.7% from the field versus the Heat's 46.5%. The Spurs were 44-79 while the Heat shot 40-86.
Jeremy Sochan (18), Keldon Johnson (15), Malaki Branham (15), Chris Paul (13), and Harrison Barnes (10) led the Spurs in double-digit scoring.
It wasn't a beautiful game on display, but one can admit the Spurs truly were competitive until the buzzer sounded, and that's a positive outlook for a young team still finding their footing with the veteran additions of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.
Harrison Ingram, Sidy Cissoko, and Riley Minix did not see any minutes in the loss but that's not to be deterred. The Austin Spurs are scheduled to begin training camp soon and the team may be looking to ensure all three players are healthy heading into the new season.
On Thursday the Spurs have an I-10 showdown against the Houston Rockets in their final preseason game before they tip off the new NBA season against the Dallas Mavericks. Not to sound cliche but this young Spurs team is on a positive trajectory and before they begin to reap the benefits of success, they must first learn to:
Trust the process.
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Spurs vs Heat Highlights via: Spurs vs Heat
Spurs Box Score Stats via: Spurs Box Stats
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