Field Level Media
Jan 27, 2024
Jeremy Sochan poured in 31 points and took a career-high 14 rebounds as one of three Spurs with double-doubles in San Antonio's 116-100 win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Friday in a clash between the bottom two teams in the Western Conference.
The Spurs led by five points at halftime but by just one four minutes into the third quarter. San Antonio then rolled off 14 of the game's ensuing 16 points, eventually leading by as many as 15 and carrying an 88-78 advantage into the final period.
San Antonio scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to go up 96-78 and the Trail Blazers never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Victor Wembanyama added 23 points and 12 rebounds, Keldon Johnson produced 21 points and a season-best 16 rebounds, and Devin Vassell hit for 15 points for San Antonio.
Anfernee Simons led all scorers with 40 points and dished out 10 assists for the Trail Blazers. Deandre Ayton added 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Toumani Camara had 12 points.
Portland played the final three quarters without starting forward Jerami Grant, who had back pain, and super rookie Scoot Henderson (quad contusion). The Trail Blazers have dropped three of their past four games.
The first quarter went back and forth, with the Spurs leading by as many as six points before Portland tied it at 22 on a layup by Camara at the 4:11 mark. The Trail Blazers went on to lead 33-26 when Henderson canned a pair of free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining in the period.
The Spurs were up just 59-57 after jumpers by Ayton and Simons, the latter with 34.6 seconds remaining in the half. But Wembanyama then produced a three-point play with 20.8 seconds to play to grant the home team a 62-57 advantage at the break.
Simons led all scorers before halftime with 22 points, with Ayton adding 12 for Portland. Three Spurs scored in double figures in the first half, paced by Wembanyama's 18 points.
The Trail Blazers got to within 67-66 on Camara's tip in with 7:48 to play in the third quarter, but San Antonio pulled away, forging a 14-2 run capped by a jumper by Vassell with 3:52 left in the period.
--Field Level Media