This is the second time in a few days that the San Antonio Spurs have defeated the Phoenix Suns.
Another Texas showdown was witnessed last night on the courts of the NBA league, this time in Arizona. The San Antonio Spurs have won for the second time this season against the Phoenix Suns, who had Devin Booker this time.
The game was practically decided in the first quarter
The Suns didn’t show up for the game as their deficit was already massive after the first quarter – 39-20 in favor of Gregg Popovich’s team, and at one point, they were trailing by 21 points.
In the second quarter, Devin Booker finally made an appearance. He had remained scoreless in the first quarter but started setting up his teammates and scoring himself. However, the Suns’ defense was critical, and by halftime, they had already allowed 75 points.
In the later stages of the game, Booker and Durant tried, but the gap was too significant
In the third quarter, the Suns managed to stabilize a bit and slowly started closing the gap on the Spurs. The real turning point came in the fourth quarter. They came within just one point after trailing by as much as 27 points at one point in the game.
During those moments, the youngest player on the court, Victor Wembanyama, scored an impressive 10 points, and the Suns eventually secured a valuable win with a final score of 132-121. With this win, they improve their record to 3-2, while the Suns drop to 2-3.
Career night for Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 38 points, which is a career-high for him, along with 10 rebounds and two blocks (15-26 from the field, 3-6 from three-point range). He was followed by Zach Collins with 19 points and eight rebounds.
For the Suns, the standout performance came from the phenomenal Devin Booker, who scored 31 points, dished out 13 assists, and grabbed nine rebounds (10-19 from the field, 5-7 from beyond the arc). Kevin Durant also contributed with 28 points and six rebounds (10-15 from the field, 3-5 from three-point range).
The Suns are currently without Bradley Beal, but the question is how much he can help them, as they have scoring and playmaking from their guards and wings. Booker and Durant are shooting efficiently, and the offense is not a problem. The issue lies with their defense and the center position, and this is where we might see if parting ways with Deandre Ayton this summer was perhaps a mistake.
Wemby was breaking some records last night
In this manner, the talented Frenchman became only the third basketball player in the history of the NBA after LeBron James and Kevin Durant to record at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in a single game.
Furthermore, he became just the second San Antonio Spurs player to score more than 100 points in the first five games of the season. The only other player to achieve this feat was David Robinson, who scored 115 points in the 1989/1990 season, while the Frenchman tallied up to 103.
In their next game, the Phoenix Suns will be on the road to face the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Spurs will play against the Toronto Raptors.