Spurs lose heartbreaker in Sacramento after mounting an impressive comeback

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

San Antonio’s 20-point comeback was all for naught when disaster struck in the final 30 seconds.

Following a disappointing loss to the Rockets that resulted in Wemby getting hurt, the Spurs dropped their second straight game on Thursday night after a heartbreaking final minute saw them squander a potential comeback win.

Wemby’s absence was felt from the start. The Kings went to work attacking the paint right away, leading to Zach Collins picking up two personal fouls within the game’s first 90 seconds. Without lots of big man options, the Spurs elected to sub in Malaki Branham, who continued his strong play and showed off his confidence by hitting an off-the-dribble three.

Much like their previous matchup, the two teams played at a frenetic pace and traded buckets through active cutting and ball movement. Unfortunately, San Antonio’s sloppy execution and dearth of talent reared its ugly head in the second quarter. With Devin Vassell on the bench, the Spurs struggled to generate offense and missed their first five shots of the quarter.

Somehow, things were even worse on defense.

Sacramento scored at will and acted like there wasn’t any Spur protecting the paint. On a few possessions, that was actually the case: there were a number of plays where De’Aaron Fox drove right to the basket without any resistance while the Spurs just stood by and watched. As a result, the Kings broke open the game by going on two separate double-digit runs, and the hosts led by as many as 20 at one point.

Even with the Spurs’ wildly inconsistent play, the one thing that’s been a constant the entire season has been their effort. San Antonio has no quit and that was on display in Sacramento, as they started the second half on fire by hitting a couple of threes. The offense flowed a lot smoother as the Spurs slowed the game down and played at a more methodical pace, which naturally led to them taking higher-percentage shots. On defense, San Antonio also employed different schemes — like full-court presses — to disrupt Sacramento’s rhythm, and the Spurs went into the fourth down by just five.

San Antonio’s hot long-range shooting continued in the final quarter. Having mounted a 20-point comeback, the Spurs’ confidence was through the roof and they took the lead following three quick triples from Blake Wesley and Keldon Johnson. The basketball gods were fully on San Antonio’s side at this point, as every 50/50 bounce went in the Spurs’ favor and they managed to build an eight-point lead. Up five with under thirty seconds left, it seemed like the Spurs had the win secured.

That’s when disaster struck.

Sacramento managed to get a quick two after pushing the ball up, and after a botched offensive possession, the Kings then tied the game on a Malik Monk three when the Spurs were scrambling to get back on defense. With the score even, San Antonio still had a chance to regain the lead, but a Domantis Sabonis steal and dunk sealed the win for the hosts.

Simply put, it was a heartbreaking end to an otherwise exhilarating game. As has been the case the entire season, the Spurs’ sloppiness and inexperience was on full display at the worst possible time, even though they played their hearts out and mounted an improbable comeback.

Game notes

Vassell’s playmaking continues to impress. The 23-year-old has always been able to create his own shot, but the game seems to have slowed down for him too. Vassell is now doing a much better job of surveying the court and using his gravity to draw in defenders before dumping it off to a teammate who has a better look. It’s not a coincidence that the Spurs’ offense was clogged in the second quarter with Vassell on the bench, and he finished the game with 30 points on 11-18 shooting and 9 assists.
Collins’ start to the game couldn’t have been much worse, as he sat on the bench for much of the first half after racking up two fouls in the first 90 seconds of the game. Thankfully for the Spurs, he managed to regain his composure and played well offensively by finishing the night with 22 points on 8-17 shooting and 2-3 from deep. Even so, it felt like the Kings scored at will with Collins defending the rim and he needs to do a better job of bringing physicality without being dirty.
Branham isn’t slowing down anytime soon. He had 23 points on 6-11 shooting along with four assists and played with an infectious energy throughout the entire game. The 20-year-old made all five of his threes and was a perfect 6/6 from the line too. Unfortunately, Branham was also the one who turned the ball over to Sabonis on the final play of the game, but that shouldn’t take away from all the positives he brought to the table. The Spurs wouldn’t have mounted the comeback without him, and Branham’s two clutch free throws with under a minute left was what gave San Antonio their five-point lead in the first place.
The Spurs somehow went a perfect 21/21 from the line. Even more impressive is the fact that the Kings shot 17/18 too. Seeing two teams combine to make 38/39 free throws doesn’t happen often, folks.