The San Antonio Spurs outscored the Portland Trail Blazers by five points in the third quarter and by four points in the fourth to make things interesting down the stretch. In the end, a second period in which the Silver and Black were outscored by 15 proved the difference, especially with Victor Wembanyama held out for precautionary reasons with a sore right ankle.
“I told the team I was proud of them, the way they hung tough. A young group can just give in,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said.
There were several bright spots – namely, three individuals, who played very well – for a Spurs team in need of as much good news as possible as they fall to 5-26 following the 134-128 loss.
Devin Vassell
At 18.0 points per game heading into Friday, Devin Vassell was – and still is – a fraction behind Wemby as the team's leading scorer. Though he again finished second on the team in scoring against the Blazers, the fourth-year guard played like a number one option down the stretch. Vassell pumped in 12 of his 22 points in the final quarter to help the Spurs get within five after they'd trailed by 26 about midway through the third quarter.
Vassell's play, especially in the final eight and a half minutes, rings significant because of how the Spurs see him and what they hope his future holds. In awarding the 23-year-old guard a five-year-135 million dollar contract extension in early October, the eventual best case scenario for the organization is that Vassell becomes a ‘Robin' to Wembanyama's ‘Batman.'
While the Florida State alum has shown flashes this season and throughout his young career, including last year when he played in only 38 games largely due to a knee injury that required surgery, Vassell's consistency has lagged. The six point loss in Portland may establish a trend that the 11th overall draft pick in 2o20 is hitting a stride with point totals of 22, 17, 22, 21, 17, and 36 points in six of his last eight games.
Keldon Johnson
For the second time in three games and the third time in the last six, Keldon Johnson led the Spurs in scoring. Two games after putting up 26 in a loss to the Utah Jazz, the fifth-year forward poured in a game-high 29.
His aforementioned teammate, sees a ‘freer' element to Johnson's offensive approach.
“Yeah, one hundred percent. Coming off (the bench), he's being aggressive and that's what we need from him. Like I said before, that second group needed a little jump start when it comes to scoring and I think KJ was the perfect match for that,” Vassell continued. “KJ embraced that role and he never put his head down or nothing so I think he's really accepted the role and been playing great.”
Doug McDermott
The tenth-year forward recorded a team-high 18 points Friday thanks in large part to five three-pointers in the third quarter to kick start the rally from 26 down. In missing only one trey attempt in the frame, Doug McDermott went 6-of-8 from beyond the arc for the night.
“We kind of had nothing to lose there when our group came in there in the third quarter. We just were super aggressive. We were making shots. Obviously, that helps,” the former Creighton star said. “We were able to cut into it, get it to ten points. Unfortunately, kind of dug ourselves too big a hole to start the game to really get all the way back in it.”
McDermott, Johnson, Vassell and the Spurs host the Boston Celtics on New Year's Eve to end 2023.
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