Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan thrive in Spurs loss

Highlights from San Antonio’s loss in Charlotte.

The San Antonio Spurs found themselves in a barn burner in Charlotte. Without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs faltered defensively, allowing the Hornets to shoot 55.2% from three in a 124-120 loss.

San Antonio was nearly as good offensively, but couldn’t put together multiple stops often enough to slow down the Hornets. They shot 56% from the field and 46.9% from three. The Silver and Black were led by their sixth man, Keldon Johnson. After struggling against the Celtics, Johnson put on a clinic against the Hornets, scoring 25 points on 9-15 shooting from the field and hit 4 of his 8 threes.

It started with a hot first quarter where he scored 13 points.

Johnson was hot from deep, but was still aggressive getting to the basket. This thunderous dunk in transition was one of his most exciting drives to the cup.

The wing even hit some big shots in the clutch. His jump shot was pure in Charlotte.

Tre Jones had a major impact on the game down the stretch. He scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, knocking down a clutch three pointer to keep the game close. Jones was great at making things happen in the open court. He pushed the pace, getting to the rack or finding a teammate. The point guard finished with 4 assists and 3 steals.

Despite being moved away from primary playmaking responsibilities, Jeremy Sochan has been impressing creating looks for his teammates. He finished Firday’s contest with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

This pass to Vassell in the corner had to be thrown hard to reach its target in time. Sochan’s creative flair will pay dividends as he develops as a secondary playmaker.

Sochan was aggressive inside too. He’s so effective when he’s being used as a cutter and play finisher. This slam over Brandon Miller was impressive.

The forward was aggressive on the glass securing a couple of offensive boards. The sophomore’s rebounding ability is underrated.

With four-straight losses behind them, The Spurs will head to Washington D.C. for a Saturday contest against the Wizards. Wembanyama will be back for another matchup with an under performing Eastern Conference foe.

Check out the full game highlights below.