Post-game reactions: Wizards triumph with a 118-113 victory against the Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs’ bid for a third consecutive victory was thwarted by the Washington Wizards, who secured a 118-113 win on the Spurs’ home court. Consequently, the Spurs’ two-game winning streak was abruptly snapped. Despite their efforts, the Spurs were unable to maintain their winning momentum.
Leading the charge for the Wizards was Victor Wembanyama, who showcased his prowess with an impressive performance of 22 points and 11 rebounds. Jeremy Sochan contributed with two points and five rebounds, while Keldon Johnson added 14 points off the bench. However, it was Devin Vassell who proved to be the key player for the Wizards, recording 24 points in the game. Tre Jones also played a significant role, contributing 11 points and nine assists.
With a season record of 10-37, the Spurs now turn their attention to their upcoming game against the Orlando Magic, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night. This will be their first meeting of the season, and the Spurs will be eager to bounce back from their recent defeat.
In the aftermath of the game, both teams shared their thoughts on the outcome. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich expressed his disappointment, stating, “Well, that’s what I call a self-inflicted loss. I thought Washington played harder than we did. They played smarter. They executed better. We didn’t have enough people playing well, or playing smart, and we did that to ourselves. So I think it’s a tough loss because, for the first time in a while, we looked young. We looked immature. We looked foolish and did not play with each other the way we had been. So that’s a disappointment, but that’s the way it goes, and you move on.”
Similarly, Spurs player Keldon Johnson acknowledged the team’s lack of effort, admitting, “I think we just didn’t bring our effort. It’s obviously a very tough loss because, obviously we would trust in our team and we could have won this game, but I don’t think that we deserved it tonight.”
Meanwhile, Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. emphasized the mental fortitude displayed by his team, stating, “I like how we battled tonight. We were struggling a little bit early. We’d make a run, they’d get up, we make another run. It was our mental stamina of just kind of staying with the game plan, staying focused, and not letting the game get away. I don’t know what the highest [deficit] was. Their biggest lead was 14. We just kept playing. We fought through some adversity through the game where we were struggling. We had some tough stretches. Our guys just kept grinding the game out, and I think that was just great growth for us as we try to build this thing.”
Ultimately, the Wizards’ resilience paid off, with Daniel Gafford making a significant contribution in the second half. Gafford’s winning shot, along with his 11 points, proved crucial in securing the victory. Reflecting on this, Gafford remarked, “It was huge in the second half. I had 11 and [Daniel Gafford] had the winning one. It really helped us. I think in the first half they had a lot of offensive rebounds that led to kick-out threes, but we settled down a bit on that in the second half.”
With the Spurs left to regroup and analyze their performance, they will undoubtedly be seeking improvement as they aim to regain their winning form.
