The 2022-23 NBA regular season continues and the San Antonio Spurs (W7, L18) ended their losing streak. Johnson had 32 points and 7 rebounds, Jones had 26 points and 5 assists, led the team to use the offense in the third quarter to overtake and establish a lead in one fell swoop, the Spurs beat the Houston Rockets 118- 109 at home (W7, L18). The Spurs ended their 11-game losing streak.
Johnson of the Spurs had 32 points and 7 rebounds, Jones had 26 points and 5 assists, McDermott had 12 points and 3 rebounds, Richardson had 12 points, Longford had 11 points and 4 assists Rebounds and 5 assists, Collins had 10 points and 5 rebounds, Barcelona also had 10 points and 5 rebounds. Smith of the Rockets had 23 points and 4 rebounds, Shin Kyung had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Green had 14 points, Gordon had 14 points and 4 assists, Porter had 12 points and 4 assists.
Absent Vassell and Poeltl of the Spurs. After the opener, the two teams did not pay much attention to defense, the field score increased alternately. Richardson and Johnson recovered 4 points, Shin Kyung hooked, and the Spurs grabbed 4 more points to make it 24-21. Ethan and Green each scored three points and led the team to an 8-0 first quarter fast break, with the Rockets leading by 5 points 29-24.
Jones felt good after the start of the second quarter, scoring 7 points by himself to help the team go 31-30. Gordon fought back with 5 runs to regain the lead, Johnson made it in singles and the two teams tied at 35. After 42 to 44 runs, Jones and Johnson combined forces for 5 runs and Spurs took the lead. Not to be outdone by the Rockets, Smith hit two straight and Green hit a 3-pointer off the buzzer, leading the team to a 9-2 wave on fast break late in the second quarter, with the Rockets leading by 3 points. 54-51.
Smith of the Rockets had 13 points in the first half, Shin Kyung had 10 points and 7 rebounds, Green and Porter each had 10 points; Johnson of the Spurs had 19 points and Jones had 17 points.
Shortly into the third quarter, Smith and Green combined for 7 points, and the Rockets led 63-56. The Spurs shot from outside, Johnson hit two three-pointers, Jones and Branham took turns to score three-pointers, a 14-2 fast break climax allowed the Spurs to go 68-65. Gordon hit a jumper to temporarily stop the bleeding for the team, Richardson hit a three-pointer, Barcelona dunked, and Spurs extended their lead. Porter made a layup to keep the gap from widening, but the Spurs continued to attack. McDermott hit 2 straight 3-pointers and scored 8 straight points to lead 85-71. The Knicks and Ethan got through respectively, Jones returned with a layup, Richardson hit a free throw, and the Spurs led 90-77 by 13 points at the end of three quarters.
The Spurs scored 5 points shortly after the start of the fourth quarter, and led by 17 points. The Knicks and Martin rallied 4 points, McDermott hit another 3-pointer, Barcelona and Langford took turns scoring, and the Spurs led 104-86 with 7:20 left in the run. Gordon hit a 3-pointer to temporarily stop the bleeding, Richardson hit another 3-pointer, Johnson also hit back-to-back goals, and the Spurs extended their lead to 20 points. Without retiring, the Rockets went for it, chasing 8 straight points to narrow the gap, Johnson hit a hook and then hit two free throws, which sealed the win for the team. Ultimately, the Spurs won 118 – 109.
Rockets starting lineup: Porter, Green, Gordon, Smith, Shin Kyung
Spurs starting lineup: Jones, Branham, Johnson, Longford, Collins
Original title: Spurs down Rockets ending 11-game losing streak Johnson 32+7 Smith 23 points
Responsible editor: Zeng Shaolin
