Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs went 5-27 through the 2023 portion of the 2023-24 season. They've gone 2-4 at the turn of the new year. A 122-116 loss to the Chicago Bulls broke a Silver and Black two-game winning streak, though it continued their best stretch of the season.
“This is the fifth game in a row where they played like this and played well enough to win a game. Starting with Milwaukee and Cleveland, the two wins [and] tonight. They're showing more consistency,” Popovich said in pointing out the specifics of Saturday's loss to the Bulls.
“Down the stretch, experienced guys probably feel a little bit more comfortable shooting those threes. We had the same ones, eventually they'll fall.”
Spurs nearly win third straight vs. Bulls
The Spurs turned an 18-point third quarter deficit into a an eight-point lead in the fourth.
“Down the stretch, we couldn't get a bucket and had some great open shots that didn't go in. But the competitiveness and turnovers that they caused and the pace coming back was so much better in the second half, so I'm proud of them. They did a really good job under some pretty tough circumstances,” Popovich said.
San Antonio was without star Victor Wembanyama, who continues to have playing time restricted because of injuries sustained to the same ankle leading up to Christmas. Saturday's game was the second in as many nights for the Spurs. Tre Jones led the team with a career-high 30 points versus the Bulls. Keldon Johnson added 26.
“We were right there. We hit some shots, we had some great shots that were wide open and they didn't fall. They usually fall but, that's how the game goes. Some nights you hit those shots and some nights you miss those shots. It was one of those nights where down the stretch we had some great looks, and we missed those shots,” Johnson said.
“We had a better pace offensively,” Popovich added. “The second half, we executed better, changed up some defenses, got some turnovers and deflections during that period. Second group was great. We made some shots.”
Keldon Johnson continues consistency with Spurs
The Spurs' third leading scorer, Johnson surpassed his points per game average by nine points. What he remembers most in falling short to Chicago, though, are the opportunities that didn't go.
“I think the shots that we miss, if I could do all over again, I would definitely put me and my teammates in those same situations to hit those shots, because those are shots that we usually make,” Johnson continued, “So, I think we continue to stay positive.”
Twelve of Johnson's 26 points came on 3-pointers. The fifth-year forward hit four of the six he took from beyond the arc. For the season, he's shooting 36 percent from 3-point land.
“I feel like I've been working on it since I came into the league. It's always been something that when I first came in that I wasn't known for. The past few years it's been up and down, so to see it going in was a great feeling,” Johnson shared.
KJ and the Spurs start a five game road trip on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
“We're going to go over some film and make some corrections and get ready for a game in Atlanta,” Popovich noted.
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