Spurs roll past Jazz, 110-95.

Rookie Jemayn Brakefield scored 14 points, with Drummond's 19 rebounds & 13 points down low helping the Spurs cruise to a road victory behind 22 points & 13 impressive boards by Brandon Ingram.

The Spurs crushed Utah, 29-12 in the 1st Quarter leading the game by as much as 33 points, as this rivalry may now be in the rear-view mirror before long.

For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell had just 16 points on an 0-5 outing from the perimeter. Mike Conley was a chilly 3-10, as the replacements for Rudy Gobert, Iviva Zubac & Montrez Harrell combined for just 15 points.

Drummond earns triple-double in win over Rockets, 103-93.

The Rockets shot just 44%, hitting just 8 threes as they went down early at home against the Spurs, boosted by a huge downpour from Andre Drummond, whose triple-double of 16 points, 26 rebounds & 10 assists was the spectacle of the evening.

 Otherwise, Ingram scored 17 points with VanVleets 16 points to go with 15 by Murray & another 15 by Thomas Bryant. For Houston, Russell Westbrook had just 16 points with 4 steals, but a cold night was in store for James Harden, who shot 0-5 from long range.

San Antonio led by as many as 22 points. Coach Pop said after the game, "Dre's passing is really starting to reach that next level. Reminds me of one of my coaches, can't remember his name. The really tall one," as Tim Duncan rose an eyebrow on the sideline.

Murray has career passing night as Spurs cruise past Blazers, 115-125.

The Spurs cruised to an easy home victory, drowning the Blazers 36-19 in the 1st Quarter and 36-23 in the 2nd Quarter, leading by as many as 34 points. Dejounte Murray drove the scoring attack, dishing the ball in a magical performance for a new career-high 21 assists.

 The Spurs won the glass, 49-39, suffocating Portland with 10 team blocks in an impressive showing by Thomas Bryant (4 blocks, 7 points). Murray finished with 22 points and two steals. Andre Drummond couldn't get a lot of easy shots to fall, but kept grinding away for 20 points as he ate up 15 rebounds with 3 blocks. Fred VanVleet dropped 18 points, hitting a trio of deep range bombs. Brandon Ingram glided his way 18 points & 7 rebounds with 2 steals. Kent Bazemore combined with Evan Fournier & rookie Jemayn Brakefield for 30 points.

Notably, the Trail Blazers did fight back in the 4th Quarter once the Spurs pulled its star power from the game, winning it 46-29 to only lose by ten points. C.J. McCollum had 16 points, as did Jusuf Nurkic (10 rebounds). Damian Lillard was hounded all game long, scoring just 14 points with 7 assists. Cam Reddish had 10 points and it appeared as if LaMarcus Aldridge's best days were behind him, scoring ten points with his old team.

 

Spurs wreak revenge on Clippers, outplay them late to win 84-91.

 

The Spurs evened up the season series with the rival Clippers and rallied down the stretch courtesy of terrific defensive moments in a feelgood home court victory. Brandon Ingram swatted James Johnson late, then Andre Drummond (25 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks) blotted Patrick Beverley's floater out of the sky before racing downcourt for the alley-oop slam through the net. Trying to respond, Kawhi Leonard couldn't hit from long range effectively. 

 

Fred VanVleet looked sharp again for 18 points, hitting four threes and sneakily nabbing four steals on the ball. The Spurs burst out to a 27-18 lead after the first quarter. Brandon Ingram had a quiet 15, shooting badly to start the game and going 6-24 overall, before eventually giving it up. Dejounte Murray had 6 steals with 5 assists, but scored just 8. Alex Caruso had two threes. 

 

In the defeat, Kawhi Leonard had 19 points (8-14, 2-5 3PT). Paul George showed flashes for 16 points & 8 rebounds. James Johnson had twelve, with ten by Beverley and eight assists. Rudy Gobert bested the glass for 24 rebounds and two blocks, scoring ten points.

 

Tonight only flavored this rivalry even more...

 

Magic stun Spurs, 92-97.

The Spurs unraveled late, committing 14 turnovers by buzzer's call, unable to score against a tough-and-young Orlando squad, despite holding a comfortable lead and shooting well for most of the game. The Magic went on a huge scoring run, owning the 4th Quarter with a 36-21 scoring advantage.

#13 pick in last year's draft, Killian Hayes, had 16 points making up for a quiet outing by De'Aaron Fox (12pts, 9asts) and Zach LaVine (12 points, 4-14 FG). #3 pick in 2019, Jaxson Hayes, had 12 points. DeMarr DeRozan scord 10 points, but also was cold going 5-12. Mo Bamba chipped in 10 points, just enough to get by San Antonio as Orlando's bench devoured San Antonio's, 41-14.

In a game they should have won, Brandon Ingram had 29 points going 10-16 with 2 steals. Fred VanVleet continued to look amazing with 19 points and hitting 5 threes, approaching 50% on the season thus far. Evan Fournier had 11 points against his former team. Andre Drummond struggled to score, just 6 points on a 3-10 night.

Spurs top Kings late under pressure, win 111-116.

Lonzo Ball (10 points, 13 assists) spearheaded the Sacramento Kings into a fierce road effort and Marvin Bagley, III, was nearly so clutch enough at the basket (and at the free throw line) to defeat the Spurs on their home court. But then Dejounte Murray dunked clean over Richaun Holmes under defensive pressure, with 47s left to go in regulation.

After Evan Fournier buried two free throws to take a two-point lead, Andre Drummond got a highlight-worthy block on Bagley during Sacramento's last meaningful play, ensuring a tough victory after a tenuous test of will. The Spurs hit free throws to close it out from there.

Brandon Ingram led the Spurs with 18 points. Ingram also had two steals. Dejounte Murray dished 11 assists with 16 points, nabbing two steals of his own. Evan Fournier performed sharply for San Antone, finishing with 16 points. Fred VanVleet helped with 14 points & 8 assists as secondary playmaker, hitting two threes. Andre Drummond had only 8 points, but towered over the glass with 21 rebounds. P.J. Tucker combined with Alex Caruso for 18 points.

Meanwhile, Bagley, III, had 27 points & 11 rebounds. Lou Williams sparked Sac-Town's road rage with 17 points. Harrison Barnes combined with Furkan Korkmaz for 22 points.

Spurs recuperate to defeat Suns, 105-114.

The rival Suns touched down in Texas, tangling with a strong Spurs showing led by Evan Fournier's 22 points (8-12 FG%, 4-6 3PT). Brandon Ingram had 22 points & 11 rebounds, but Drummond still led the Spurs on the glass with 12 rebounds, 13 points. Dejounte Murray figured it out, forgetting the bitter loss in Charlotte last night to score 21 points & 13 assists. Fred VanVleet staggered here and there, but still manaaged 14 points (4-7 3PT).

For Phoenix, DeAndre Ayton had 26 points & 17 rebounds, once again causing rumors to flourish and strengthen the "best player on the Suns" debate. Meanwhile, Devin Booker had 23 points, showing off a more versatile game with athletic dunks and layups in traffic, hitting from mid range at times.

Ayton hit a couple of 3PT shots, but San Antonio's strategy paid off to give him space and keep him outside of the paint. Dario Saric scored 18 points, Kelly Oubre, Jr, had 10 points & Ricky Rubio dished 11 assists. 

However, Khris Dunn & Mikal Bridges shot 2-12 as a pair for the Suns. Despite the loss, Phoenix did win the 3rd Quarter, 31-22 to make a game of it in the 4th, albeit in defeat as they only hit 5-25 from deep.

 

Rhythmless Spurs lose in Charlotte, 96-104.

The Hornets looked like the team of yesteryear in the first half, trailing by as many as 18 points, but reignited their homestand in the 3rd Quarter with a mountainous 42-18 beat-down of the Spurs, going on to win a close 4th Quarter, 22-24.

#3 overall pick, Evan Mobley, 7'0", shined brightly for the Charlotte Hornets tonight with 21 points. Jonas Valanciunas had 24 points & 9 rebounds. Tim Hardaway, Jr, dropped 2 points, P.J. Washington had 11 points & Colin Sexton had 10 points with 12 assists. Danilo Gallinari had 19 points & 11 rebounds.

Dejounte Murray (24 points) had the makings of a strong game, but couldn't quite put it all together despite getting the Spurs within a basket late before Charlotte pulled away in the final two minutes. Brandon Ingram combined with Murray well on the fast break for 27 points, 6 rebounds & 5 assists with 2 blocks, and Kent Bazemore was hot for 16 points, but Andre Drummond struggled against Charlotte's front-court for just 16 rebounds, 10 points. The Spurs had 15 turnovers as a unit, uncharacteristically so. Its best shooters, VanVleet & Harris, also went cold from the perimeter, nailing the road defeat coffin shut.

Spurs hold off Pistons, 100-106.

Off to a hot start this season, Brandon Ingram continued to be a scoring machine for the Spurs with 32 points. Fred VanVleet showed some upswing with 18 points & 6 assists, one of many Spurs players off to a rocky start conversely. Evan Fournier had another good game with 15 points. Dejounte Murray didn't score much but dished 10 assists, with Andre Drummond cleaning the glass with 14 boards, 6 blocks & 9 points.

Kyle Kuzma is starting to develop a comfort zone with his new squad, scoring 17 points to lead the Pistons on a 33-22 scoring run in the final quarter. It was a 3PTer by P.J. Tucker that sealed the win for the Spurs late, after Cole Anthony (10 points, 9 assists) made a layup to cut the lead within three points.

Hassan Whiteside outplayed Drummond for 28 points, 20 rebounds with 3 blocks, gelling smoothly with his new team. Jerami Grant was also recently acquired from the Denver Nuggets, scoring 18 points & 8 rebounds. Ex-Spur, Taurean Prince, scored 11 points tonight, but John Wall shot 3-10 & Kuzma was a cold 1-7 from long range, despite having a lot of gumption and firing away with the game up in the air.

Spurs survive draught in 3rd and recover at MSG to win big, 115-97.

The Spurs surrendered a momentary lead to the New York Knicks in the 3rd Quarter, who boasted #2 pick Ziare Williams. Williams (7 points, 6 rebounds) had some exciting play against Jaemyn Brakefield (6 points), with LaMelo Ball (10 points, 10 assists) setting up R.J. Barrett's big night of 31 points. Brandon Ingram had a slow first half, but excelled in transition to finish with 23 points. Ingram's lack of scoring oomph in the first half was hidden well by strong play from Andre Drummond (12 points, 19 rebounds) & Evan Fournier (18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks).

For the Knicks, Mitchell Robinson had 17 points with 5 rebounds but was out-muscled by Drummond. Draymond Green had an awful showing with 4 points, 7 rebounds. 

The Spurs won the 4th Quarter, 37-27, recovering strongly with 14 points by Dejunte Murray, 11 points by Thomas Bryant & 27 points between Caruso, Bazemore, Samanic & Harris.

 

Spurs rally back to defeat tough Thunder, 116-109.

Florida State lottery pick, Scottie Barnes, wowed the OKC crowd tonight scoring 12 points early, but cooled off in the second half to go 4-11 overall.

A mishmash of talent (Jakob Poetl, Jae Crowder, Precious Achiuwa, Chris Paul & Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) buckled the visiting Spurs and just barely collapsed in the 4th Quarter, nearly getting a win over the champs, were it not for San Antonio wiping them out, 37-22 in the final scoring column.

In the loss, Crowder had 16 points; Poetl scored 14 points & 15 rebounds; Chris Paul had 13; Gilgeous-Alexander had 13 & Achiwua had 12 points. Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram powered the Spurs with 28 points & 2 blocks. Thomas Bryant had a standout stat-line of 22 points & 10 rebounds. Dejounte Murray carved up the interior for 21 points & 7 assists to go with 4 steals. Andre Drummond combined with Evan Fournier to score 30 points.

Spurs outlast new-conference Bulls on the road, 115-109.

Brandon Ingram led San Antonio with 33 points & 7 rebounds, and it was a distribution showcase for Dejounte Murray (18 points, 13 assists) as the Spurs downed the western conference-bound Chicago Bulls. Andre Drummond had 15 points, 14 rebounds with 7 stifling blocks. Kent Bazemore combined with Fred VanVleet for 27 points.

In the loss, Coby White led Chicago with 30 points and Lauri Markkanen had 17 points with 10 reounds. Wendell Carter, Jr., had 15 points, 14 rebounds and high rookie pick, Josh Green, scored 15 points on a night that was a rather cold one for Buddy Hield & Otto Porter.

 Still, Chicago looked impressive tonight.

Rudy Gobert's revenge: New-look Clippers stun Spurs at buzzer: 104-102.

There was .5 left on the clock and a pin could drop in the AT&T Center. A series of errors had culminated in a put-back dunk by new Clipper acquistion, Rudy Gobert, that finalized a valiant comeback.

The Spurs were stung by their first defeat at the earliest regular season timing in recent memory. "That's why they went out and got him over the summer. Gobert's prowess down low is something all 30 teams would kill to have. We let this game get to that point, and we got a L to show for it," Coach Popovich said in low spirits. When asked if the Clippers wanted the win more badly, he said, "Maybe. We were the only team between them and the NBA Finals last June. All I know is we sure didn't play like winners tonight."

Dejounte Murray did tie the game after a dunk by Kawhi Leonard swiped a 2-PT advantage in what a 34-22 fourth quarter rally by the Clippers, but even that did not come easy. Andre Drummond closed out on new Clipper James Johnson's floater attempt, unfortunately leaving Gobert free to nab the fatal rebound. Johnson finished with 8 points (4-11). Gobert starred with 17 points, 17 rebounds.

This was a close game, too: the Spurs edged LA, 31-29 in the first, getting more spread 21-14 in the second, but the 3rd Quarter went 27-28 in San Antone's favor before the collapse. Kawhi Leonard played very well with 26 points (11-19) & Paul George was right there with him for 25 points & 7 assists. Patrick Beverley dished 12 assists. 

 In the crushing loss, Brandon Ingram nearly willed the Spurs to a win with 29 points (12-18, 3-5 3PT) but did not have much help. Andre Drummond had 12 points, 10 rebounds with 4 blocks, but missed a lot of gimmies down low, clearly bothered by Gobert (who wasn't there to do so in the Western Conference Finals last year). Evan Fournier had his first solid showing with 12 points, hitting two threes with 3 assists also, but Dejounte Murray stayed quiet with 10 points, 9 assists. Fred VanVleet shot 3-7, with Joe Harris going 2-6 from long range. Cold, Kent Bazemore & Thomas Bryant shot 2-10. Luka Samanic briefly rallied the team, hitting two nice shots to stay the lead, but it was not to last, despite 9 points by P.J. Tucker (though he only went 1-5 from long range).

San Antonio bests rival Suns, 96-86.

 

 

The Spurs dominated Phoenix, 26-8 in the first quarter and it took a rough night shooting the ball for Phoenix to get back into the mix, only losing by ten at buzzer's call. DeAndre Ayton continued last year's campaign with more of the same strong play, 25 points & 21 rebounds. Ex-Spur, Patty Mills, had 11 points. Devin Booker did not play well, six points on a 3-12 shooting night (0-5 3PT), with all eyes on his lack of consistency (after not playing well against the Spurs in the playoffs last year).

In the win, Dejounte Murray had 17 points and P.J. Tucker had a standout performance, signaling his worth after a financial increase on his latest new contract with the Spurs, scoring 17 points with 5 assists & 3 steals (3-4 3PT). Brandon Ingram contributed 16 points & 8 rebounds. Fred VanVleet had 10 points, 7 assists.

Spurs receive championship rings and banner, en route to 93-104 win over Mavericks.

The mood was jovial as the Spurs were honored with championship rings once again, as a banner joined the rest in the rafters. They found themselves in a game, reliably due to the timeless rival Mavericks being on the court. 

The Spurs won the first quarter, 28-17 but Dallas stormed back in the 2nd, 28-16. The Spurs recovered to win the 3rd, 30-15 with the Mavs edging them out in the 4th, 33-30.

Drummond had his second nice game of the season, dropping 21 points & 8 rebounds with 4 blocks. Brandon Ingram had 18 points, 7 rebounds with 3 steals. Dejounte Murray scored 13 with 5 assists. Fred VanVleet chipped in 13 points, hitting 3-5 from long range. Thomas Bryant showed promise with 11 points. Evan Fournier went 1-7 in a cold night.

For the Mavs, it was a scoring struggle: Kristaps Porzingis hit on just 5-12 shots (14 points) with Deni Avdija's 13 points, 9 rebounds & 6 assists spoiled by a 5-13 night of his own & the leader, Luka Doncic, had 12 points, 6 rebounds & 6 assists on a 5-13 clip. Dwight Powell is back in action and contributed 9 points, 9 rebounds.

To make it worse, Dallas had 16 turnovers and gave up 17 free throws to the Spurs.

Spurs win opening night clash on the road over Kuzma & Pistons, 104-85.

Kyle Kuzma's debut for the Pistons could've gone better as he scored just 14 points, with Detroit led by John Wall (19 points, 5 assists) instead. Rookie of the Year, Cole Anthony, had 11 points but shot 5-12. New Piston, Hassan Whiteside, had a strong showing with 17 rebounds & 16 points.

The Spurs, however, won every quarter in the scoring column, cruising to a first victory on the new NBA season. The Big Penguin, Andre Drummond, had 19 points & 16 rebounds with 6 blocks against his old team. Brandon Ingram looked familiar with 18 points. The Spurs were boosted by 14 points & 5 dimes from Dejounte Murray, with Fred VanVleet combining with Luka Samanic & Kent Bazemore for 30 points.

In his own debut, Evan Fournier scored 9 points for San Antonio. Jaemyn Brakefield hit his first NBA shot attempt, a corner three and also nabbed a block on defense.

Detroit made just 3-16 from the perimeter, whereas the Spurs connected on 11 shots from deep and shared 30 assists as a squad.

Prelude: Spurs choose Brakefield, meticulously refine championship-caliber roster.

Kicking off this summer with another championship run in mind, the Spurs selected Duke forward, Jaemyn Brakefield, with the #30 pick in the NBA Draft. The hustle-driven lefty slasher should develop well with Brandon Ingram around to shadow, as Brakefield has shown flashes of similarity to Ingram's game along with looking the part at 6'8", 210lb. Brakefield is a student of the game, a devout Christian and has exemplified the integral character necessary to catch San Antonio's eye with his performance only holding its gaze. Citing his favorite biblical passage, Jaemyn will wear #45 in honor of Matthew 19:26.

Being part of a championship-caliber squad will definitely be a silver-and-black platter for Brakefield to prosper from. For others, being a Spur last season paid off. Johnathan Williams proved himself as a playoff-worthy third-string center and even outperformed Thomas Bryant at times, who had a rocky half-season with San Antonio after being acquired for Jarrett Allen. Williams left the Spurs for the Memphis Grizzlies with much appreciation for the opportunity to showcase his talent on the biggest stage, securing a two-year deal worth 5.5 million.

In other departures, Allen Crabbe had an inconsistent time with the Spurs and was not retained, opting for a one-year pact with the Miami Heat. Rajon Rondo revived his career backing up Dejounte Murray, but couldn't stop the improvement of Fred VanVleet's playmaking abilities, shipping off with his second championship ring to the Houston Rockets, where he will definitely take pressure off the ball-handling duties of Russell Westbrook & James Harden. Trey Lyles also did not return to San Antonio as the former lottery pick showed off his shooting ability and solid rebounding skills, earning a two-year, 9.76m deal with the Indiana Pacers. Lastly, Iman Shumpert got another ring as reward for taking the Spurs up on their reunion offer and will play for the rival Clippers this coming season.

The first veteran player acquisition came in Alex Caruso, who was nearly nabbed by Coach Pop & R.C. Buford last summer before the Lakers re-signed the savvy play-making Texas A&M alum. This time, the Spurs dished their bi-annual exception at Caruso to gain his talents on a two-year agreement worth 7.4 million. Regarding higher figures, the Spurs were not finished this summer and obtained the Ginobli-esque skills of Evan Fournier. The 6'7 French SF/SG hybrid earned his stripes in Europe and grew up watching Mike Bibby spearhead plays for the Sacramento Kings, slated to don #10 this next season in honor of Bibby, a request obliged by deadly Spurs marksman, Joe Harris. Harris will instead wear #8, harking back to Spurs alum Patty Mills, the Australian sniper, who Harris surpassed last season by hitting twelve 3PT shots in a single game to set a new Spurs record. Caruso isn't quite as gifted from long range as Joe, but will easily slot in behind Spurs floor general, Dejounte Murray and make up for the loss of Rondo, who is 7 years older with far more wear on the tires so to speak. Plus, Alex is happy to return home to Texas, a College Station native.

Meanwhile, Fournier possesses a scorer's court vision and is great at off-ball execution using screens to his advantage, averaging 37% from 3PT territory. With potential to win sixth man of the year in the vein of Manu, Fourier will begin the season behind Kent Bazemore, who hit a high point after a streaky start to last season. Fournier is a passionate slasher and has defensive chops that surely will only sharpen with the Spurs. He is joining the Spurs on a 40m, four-year pact using San Antonio's mid-level exception as they remain under the luxury tax, but over the salary cap line.

Filling out the rest is big man, Mike Muscala, a stretch five that will wear #33 as Spurs fans are reminded of Boris Diaw, another bigger but invaluable contributor to title runs. Muscala is the replacement for Williams, with the rest of the roster staying intact with P.J. Tucker re-upping on a two-year deal after a much better three-point shooting percentage last season. The star trio of Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray & reigning league MVP, Andre Drummond now set their eyes on leading a fine-tuned Spurs squad toward the Larry O'Brien trophy yet again for the 12th consecutive occasion.