Defense wins in Austin. The Houston Rockets moved to 2-0 Friday night at the Moody Center, holding off the San Antonio Spurs 114-110 when Amen Thompson stuffed Victor Wembanyama’s game-tying layup attempt with less than a second left. Fred VanVleet sealed it with two free throws, and the sellout crowd of 16,723 watched San Antonio fall to 0-2.
Alperen Sengun led Houston with 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Durant added 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a homecoming game for the former Texas Longhorn. Thompson finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks, and the last block was the one everybody will remember.
The Block
San Antonio had one more shot down two. On the possession before, Wembanyama banked in a long 3-pointer, but it didn’t count because Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had called timeout with 5 seconds left before the ball left his hands, per the AP.
Out of the timeout, the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama called for the ball in the post against the 6-foot-7 Thompson, spun and reached for the rim. As USA TODAY described it, Thompson “leapt up and met Wembanyama’s sweeping layup attempt and swatted away the ball to preserve the Houston Rockets lead.” VanVleet went to the line and made both free throws for the final points.
Wembanyama didn’t dodge it afterward. Asked what he would do differently on the final play, he said, “Yeah, I would have dunked,” via Yahoo Sports.
Sengun Runs the Show
Sengun opened the scoring with a 25-foot pull-up three off a VanVleet assist and never really slowed down. He went 10-of-20 from the field, 2-of-4 from deep and 7-of-8 at the line, and his seven assists led the team. Durant was efficient in his 37 minutes, going 5-of-10 from the floor, 2-of-2 from three and a perfect 8-of-8 at the line.
VanVleet added 14 points, five assists and three steals, Tari Eason chipped in 12 points and six rebounds with three steals off the bench, and Jabari Smith Jr. had seven points and two blocks. As a team, Houston hit 90.3% of its free throws (28-of-31) and forced 15 turnovers with 11 steals.
How It Played Out
Houston led 32-27 after one, but San Antonio closed the first half with a burst. Starting at the 1:21 mark, the Spurs scored nine points in three trips: a Wembanyama three-point play, a Julian Champagnie corner three and a Wembanyama and-one dunk off a Stephon Castle feed. VanVleet answered with a long three just ahead of the halftime buzzer to tie it at 59, per the AP.
The Rockets won the third quarter 24-22 and built a lead that peaked at 11 points. San Antonio’s biggest lead all night was one. Both teams scored 29 in the fourth, and the Spurs kept it close enough to get that final look, but Thompson had other plans.
Wembanyama finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds on 9-of-21 shooting. Dylan Harper scored 20, De’Aaron Fox had 19 points and nine assists, and Castle added 15. San Antonio held slight edges in paint points (48-46) and fast-break points (18-16), according to the official box score.
What Ime Udoka Said
Udoka explained the game plan against San Antonio’s scorers. “We want to live with some guys making some shots and help on others,” he said, via Yahoo Sports. “They have some really good one-on-one players, and we felt we could show a crowd and make some plays there, and I think we did that. The plan was to keep their points in the paint low, and they can beat us from 3.”
Injury Note
Reed Sheppard was inactive with a left knee contusion and bone bruise, according to the NBA’s official scorer’s report.
What’s Next
Two games, two wins for the Rockets, both against in-state rivals. These two teams meet three more times this season, with the next matchup coming in January. Keep it locked on LFG Houston’s Rockets coverage all season long, and catch the opener recap: Rockets bully Mavericks 128-110.
Stats via the NBA.com official box score and scorer’s report. Reporting from the AP, USA TODAY and Yahoo Sports.
Get LFG Houston in your inbox
Game recaps, news, and more. No spam.
Unsubscribe anytime.
