Unbelievable victory for San Antonio Spurs in Phoenix! In the third quarter, Jeremi Sochan’s team was losing by 20 points and it seemed that it would soon fall apart. And yet, the Spurs started to make up for the losses, and in the last seconds they even shocked the candidates for the NBA championship.
A minute before the end, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant easily passed Keldon Johnson and with an impressive dunk gave the hosts a 114-109 lead. The ovation in the hall was even greater because Durant had thus exceeded the 27,000 mark. points scored in the NBA – he had exactly 27,001 of them. And it seemed that there would be no more sensations in this match – the Suns would win as planned, and the highlight of the match would be Durant’s anniversary.
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However, Spurs did not intend to give up, and a certain Frenchman who, as a child a few years ago, loved watching compilations of Durant’s best actions, certainly did not want to do that. Today Victor Wembanyama is 19 years old, 224 cm tall, he was no. 1 of this year’s draft, and currently aspires to be the leader of Spurs. When talking about his uniqueness, it is often mentioned that he is a taller version of Durant – he has a similar figure, can move gracefully with the ball, and is good at long-range shots.
The Spurs shocked the Suns. Keldon Johnson snatched a key pass
And it was Wembanyama who scored from mid-distance 49 seconds before the end, and after an unsuccessful attempt by the Suns, he finished with a dunk after Devin Vassell’s missed shot. It was only 114:113 for the hosts, but they knocked the ball out from under their own basket six seconds before the end. They chose a safe option – passing to Durant, the scorer of 26 points in the match, who, after an expected tactical foul, was to add two more free throws.
Except Durant’s Spurs didn’t foul. They took the ball out of his hands. Specifically, Keldon Johnson. The guests’ best scorer in this match, who scored 27 points, drove to the basket and scored quick points. 115:114 for Spurs, their first lead in the match!
The shocked Suns took a break and planned an attack on Durant, but he missed the shot from the left wing. And in this amazing way, the team from San Antonio won the first away game this season, and after four games it has a record of 2-2.
Spurs were already down by 20 points. And then a successful chase
The victory is even more valuable because it was achieved just two days after the beating that the Spurs received in Los Angeles from the Clippers. They lost 83-123, and coach Gregg Popovich complained that his youngest NBA team quickly gave up. On Tuesday in Phoenix, the 74-year-old coach called for a timeout after just 53 seconds, because by then his team had committed a turnover, made a mistake in defense, missed a shot and did not return to defense.
But Spurs, although they played better than against the Clippers, still lost throughout the game. The Suns played without two injured stars, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but Durant was enough to lead 27-18 after the first quarter and 63-45 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Phoenix basketball players were already winning 70:50, and a moment later 76:56, but then something stirred in Spurs. Johnson had a great moment, Tre Jones made a good change, Wembanyama was getting started and four minutes before the end the guests got closer to 104:107. And an exchange of blows began, with Spurs winning.
Apart from the most effective Johnson, who scored 27 points, Wembanyama and Vassell added 18 each. The Frenchman also had eight rebounds and four blocks, but also five turnovers, while Vassell added six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Jeremy Sochan tried to beat Kevin Durant’s rhythm
Jeremy Sochan finished in the top five for the fourth time this season and played 30 minutes. He scored eight points, had seven rebounds and five assists, and importantly – he did not commit a single turnover. He was 3/8 from the field, including a missed three-pointer and 2/3 from free throws.
The 20-year-old Pole played a supporting role in attack, but he worked hard in defense, where he most often faced Durant. And he did decently – he was very active, tried to stay on his feet in front of the Suns star, jumped with his arm outstretched when he shot. In several actions, Sochan managed to knock Durant out of rhythm, although of course he was unable to stop him. And there’s nothing strange about it, because practically no one stops Durant, one of the best basketball players in the world.
After four games, Sochan has an average of 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, which roughly matches his average statistics from the previous, debut season. The Spurs, on the other hand, have a 2-2 record and are waiting for the next match in Phoenix – it will take place on the night from Thursday to Friday, Polish time. The Pole’s team will play in San Antonio on Sunday – the rival will be Toronto Raptors.
2023-11-01 06:17:00
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