BREAKING NEWS: Spurs Lose Handily to Kings in the Absence of Wemby.
The San Antonio Spurs lost badly 131-129 at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday night after having played close in their previous three meetings with the Sacramento Kings this season.
With 7.7 seconds remaining, Kings forward Domantas Sabonis pulled off a steal and a game-winning fastbreak dunk to complete a 7-0 run that stunned the Spurs (13-50), who had overcome a 20-point deficit in the first half and were ahead by as many as eight in the fourth quarter despite missing star rookie Victor Wembanyama because of an ankle injury.
Gregg Popovich, the coach of the Spurs, stated, “We did a lot of good things.” “I’m really sorry for them. They were competitive, well-executed, and performed admirably.
De’Aaron Fox, the Kings’ guard, led the team in scoring with thirty-three points before fouling out late in the game. Sabonis finished with thirty-one points, seventeen rebounds, and nine assists.
Without Wemby in the starting lineup, San Antonio guard Devin Vassell scored a team-high 30 points and dished out nine assists. Zach Collins chipped in with seven rebounds and 22 points. The Spurs’ bench also contributed significantly, as Malaki Branham scored 23 points on 5 of 5 shots from 3-point range, Blake Wesley scored 11 points, and Keldon Johnson scored 22 points.
Harrison Barnes (17 points), Keon Ellis (11 points), and Malik Monk (18 points, seven rebounds, nine assists), who made the game-winning three-pointer with 23.1 seconds remaining, were also in double figures for the Kings. Seeking an opportunity to put the game away at that very moment, Branham chose to throw a poor pass to Collins, which Sabonis easily intercepted and scored on the other side to secure the victory.
The Spurs host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT in an attempt to recover from one of their most devastating losses of the season.
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