Spurs compete early but run out of gas in the second half in loss to the Thunder

The Spurs had a great first half, but they didn’t have the firepower to keep up with an elite opponent for the full 48 minutes.

The Spurs competed admirably with one of the best teams in the league on the second game of a back-to-back. Fueled by some explosive outside shooting, they dropped 77 first-half points against the Thunder before running out of fuel and losing to a superior opponent by 14 points in a barn burner, 146-132.

It was understandable to be a little scared of what could happen early in the game against the best team in the West on the second game of a back-to-back, but the Spurs seemed ready for the challenge. Their defense was active and didn’t get discouraged when the Thunder hit jumper after jumper. On offense they were facing tough opposition but managed to keep up until they were the ones scorching hot from outside, connecting on a franchise-record 10 threes in a quarter. Everyone from the starters to a very helpful second unit was focused and showing no signs of fatigue, as the outside looks kept falling. OKC wasn’t looking as terrifying as they often do on either end, but it would be unfair to undersell how good San Antonio was in the opening frame at trading blows with an elite opponent. After one, they were only down three.

The problem with the first period was that a lot of what went the Spurs’ way didn’t seem sustainable. The visitors had coughed the ball up often and in sloppy ways and couldn’t create turnovers on their other end, which is their specialty. San Antonio was looking like an elite shooting team, which they very much are not. It felt like the Silver and Black were overachieving greatly while the Thunder had several more gears to reach. Surprisingly, instead of the game slowing down and going OKC’s way, it was the home team that continued to set the tone. The shots kept falling, but the Spurs found other ways to score, with Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan attacking the paint. On defense, the fouls piled up but San Antonio offset the free throw disadvantage by not having wasted possessions. It was a fantastic performance that allowed the home team to lead by five at the break.

Third quarters have not been the Spurs’ time this season, and a strong start of the second half by the Thunder seemed to signal an incoming collapse. While the scoreboard says there was a minor one, it wasn’t really caused by a lack of effort or focus by San Antonio. The Silver and Black continued to play well, but their solid defense didn’t result in stops and their good execution wasn’t getting them as many buckets. OKC made sure their opponent wasn’t getting as many open threes and their stars imposed their will. A squabble that resulted in Julian Champagnie, Kenrich Williams and Lu Dort getting ejected could have disrupted the visitors’ rhythm but, alas, it didn’t. Some buckets from De’Aaron Fox and good minutes from Castle and Sochan off the bench prevented the lead from ballooning too much in the third, but small mistakes really hurt a Spurs team that couldn’t rely on hot shooting anymore.

The Thunder went into the fourth only up eight points but in full control of the game. The Spurs once again really tried to stay in it, with Mitch Johnson playing his best guys heavy minutes and trying different lineups to find an advantage, but unfortunately, the talent disparity was too big to overcome. It was a predictable loss, but one that left reasons for optimism about San Antonio’s core.

Game notes

• After playing 12 minutes against the Pelicans and getting his groove back in garbage time against the Rockets, Stephon Castle dropped 22 points and dished out seven assists against the Grizzlies and logged 32 points on just 21 shots against the Thunder. The consistency is lacking, which is not surprising for a rookie, but the flashes of top-tier brilliance are tantalizing. He could be special.

• Devin Vassell missed six of his seven three-point attempts but his short jumper was lethal and he had a few possessions on defense that show his true two-way upside. He just needs to turn potential into consistent production.
• Bismack Biyombo was almost unplayable in this matchup so the Spurs needed a big performance from Jeremy Sochan and got it. The backup center had 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. He’s a killer as the dive man on the pick-and-roll, so hopefully the Spurs will get a 3-and-D center in the offseason that will allow him to continue to fill that role in the second unit.
• Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes hit their shots. Paul has been a liability on defense for a while and Barnes simply can’t play center like he’s been asked to a few times, but the veterans find ways to contribute.
• De’Aaron Fox continues to struggle from outside but his ability to get into the paint or hit timely shots has been as good as advertised. He’ll thrive next to Victor Wembanyama.
• Keldon Johnson was in foul trouble, so he didn’t play much but did well in his minutes. Champagnie got ejected after his altercation with Kenrich Williams but hit his shots. The bench, even outside of Sochan and Castle, has been a strength in recent games.

Play of the game

The form isn’t pretty, they are all wide-open attempts and he takes too few, but in the last 20 games, Jeremy Sochan has made 42 percent of his threes.

Next game: vs. Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday

The Spurs will host the skidding Nets, losers of four straight. D’Angelo Russell might be back for the matchup, which should be fun.