Spurs kick off homestand with win over Wizards

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SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs opened up their four-game homestand with a 132-119 victory over the Washington Wizards (21-28) at the AT&T Center on Sunday night.

The game kicked off a four-game homestand for the Spurs, who will embark on their annual month-long Rodeo Road Trip while the Stock Show and Rodeo invade the AT&T Center in February.

Here is what went good and bad for the Spurs, as well as three standout players: LaMarcus Aldridge, Davis Bertans, and Bryn Forbes.

The Good:
  • Coach Pop was determined to not let his guys give up another game at home. He called 16 seconds following a defensive miscue by Pau Gasol.
  • The game saw seven Spurs in double figures, led by Aldridge.
  • San Antonio went 16-for-34 from three-point land.
The Bad:
  • DeMar DeRozan missed his second straight game and third overall of the season with a sore knee.
Three Standout Players:
Photo by Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

LaMarcus Aldridge:

The Spurs big man stepped up in DeRozan’s absence and helped the Spurs kick off their homestand off on the right foot.

Aldridge scored 30 points on 57 percent shooting to go along with nine rebounds. He was fed early and often, having no trouble getting through the Washington frontline with ease.

Project Spurs illustration

Bryn Forbes

The guard was one of seven Spurs in double figures as he continues to show his growth and offensive prowess in the win.

Forbes finished with 16 points, going 4-for-7 from three-point land. He didn’t just pull up from three as he sliced and diced his way to the rim for buckets and dished out four assists and grabbed four rebounds.

Project Spurs illustration/Associated Press

Davis Bertans:

After missing two games for personal reasons, Bertans made his return to the lineup and delivered a big-time performance for the Spurs.

Bertans finished with a season-high 21 points. He shot 72 percent from the floor and went 5-for-8 from three-point range. He added two assists and three rebounds to his stat line in 28 minutes of work.

“We played the last two home games really poorly,” Bertans said. “He [Popovich] was not going to let us slide with small mistakes. We make those mistakes and it will only make us better. Those are teaching points.”

UP NEXT:

The Spurs are now 29-22 on the season and will return to the court on Tuesday when they welcome in the Phoenix Suns (11-40) to the AT&T Center at 7:30 pm Central Time.

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