x
Breaking News
More () »

FINAL: Keldon Johnson scores career-high, but Spurs fall to Hornets 123-117

Johnson scored a career-high 33 points, but went cold in the fourth with the rest of the Spurs as they lost their fourth in a row.

SAN ANTONIO —

Postgame

Game Story

First Quarter

Keldon Johnson ripped a three to open the scoring for the Spurs, then got to the rim. The Hornets got a couple of threes as Dejounte Murray missed his first five shots. Devin Vassell blocked LaMelo Ball from behind, got a transition jumper, and forced a miss that led to a tough scoop in transition by Doug McDermott. Charlotte called time down 9-8.

Jakob Poeltl blocked a shot, and Murray found Keldon in the open court for an and-1. 

Murray got it to Poeltl on a seal down low for a foul, and he hit one at the stripe. Murray hit Poeltl on the short roll, and he passed to Devin Vassell in the corner for three. His next trip, he caught at the arc, faked, and made a long looping drive to the rim for a tough bucket.

Out of a timeout Lonnie Walker IV picked up where he left off in the last game of his heater, pulling up for three and drilling it. Keldon ran pick and roll, pulled up at the stripe and hit it. He ran another, pulled up at the arc, and swished. Next time he bullied his way to the rim in transition, then did the same in a half-court set. He had 17 in the quarter after scoring just 2 points and getting pulled in the loss to the Kings.

San Antonio trailed 31-30 after one.

Second Quarter

Rookie Josh Primo drove, pumped under the basket, and popped in a layup. Dejounte Murray took it to the cup after crossing a big man for his first bucket of the game. DJ found Collins in the paint, but he got blocked before a LaMelo Ball three. Murray answered with another strong move to the hole for three the old fashioned way. LaMelo stepped back on him and hit his third three of the game, but Primo pulled up from deep to respond.

Collins found DJ on a back-cut for a layup, but after a couple of dunks by Montrezl Harrell that gave Charlotte their largest lead of five points, Pop called time.

The Spurs drew up a good three for Vassell, and Murray grabbed the miss but missed the putback. Trez scored again, and was gonna go for his fourth bucket in a row before DJ busted up the play.

Charlotte went on a 9-0 run to take a 10-point lead before Keldon split the defense in pick and roll and finished through a foul. 

Johnson got it in transition and scored again at the rim. The Hornets kept scoring, but Poeltl finished in the paint and Keldon got the board and popped it in.

KJ got a look at a three, but instead fired a laser to Poeltl down low. McDermott got fouled on a drive, then Tre Jones floated one home. After another stop, Jones got it to Poeltl for a hook shot and-1 to make it a one-point game. Charlotte finally scored, but a beautiful game-ey possession ended with Keldon dumping it to Jak, who hit 1-2 at the line but probably should've just dunked it.

Charlotte led 62-60 at the break.

Third Quarter

Keldon Johnson opened the second half with another three to put the Spurs in front. Terry Rozier hit from the corner, but Doug McDermott came off a handoff and swished a three with a foul.

Jakob Poeltl blocked LaMelo at the rim, and Keldon played give and go with DJ for a transition hoop. 

Melo hit a three, but Vassell drove in for a lefty finger roll. Charlotte retook the lead after some defensive miscues, and Pop called time.

Dejounte Murray crossed Ball up and threw his body into him to tie it with an and-1. DJ blew up a pass by Ball and got a good look in transition, but blew the layup. Poeltl stuffed Ball again, but Rozier hit his third three of the quarter.

Murray drove in on Rozier and spun home a jumper, then forced another turnover by ball and got it to Vassell for three and the lead. Rozier hit again, but Murray got back to the line for the tie and the lead.

Poeltl and Johnson fought for a board, but against each other, leading to points for the Hornets. Zach Collins hit a catch-and-shoot three from the top off a feed from Murray, then DJ hit a technical free throw.

Keldon took a shot to the chops on a three that tied the game for Charlotte. Collins got an offensive board, then Keldon grabbed the second miss of the possession and ensured that there would not be a third. Scary Terry hit another three, but Johnson answered with his own and got to a career high 33.

Primo drained another three, and the Spurs built their largest lead at 6 points. Trez answered, but Lonnie got a switch and crossed him for a mid-range. Kelly Oubre hit a tough and-1, and Rozier hit a technical free throw after Collins slammed the ball into the stanchion.

Collins set an illegal screen in transition, and the Hornets finished with a layup to make it an 8-0 run and a 99-97 advantage heading to the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

Dejounte bounced it to Collins, who did well to corral it and finish in transition to tie. Murray stopped and spun in the paint for a bucket and the lead, then Ball answered at the stripe.

Charlotte forced a turnover, then got a bucket inside. Vassell stepped back and faded at the elbow to tie it. The Spurs forced a turnover, DJ passed to Vassell for three, and while the shot missed and Josh Primo mistimed his jump, he punched it up and in like a volleyball player.

PJ Washington hit a three, for the lead, then Murray got him for free throws to get the lead right back. Charlotte scored twice in a row to go up three, and Pop called time.

They drew up a three for McDermott, but his cold streak continued. Scary Terry hit another three, but Tre Jones scored inside and Primo got his own miss to set up Poeltl for a floater from the block. Charlotte called timeout up 113-111 with 4:37 to play.

Primo made a nice fake and pass to Jones on a backdoor cut, but he got blocked and the Hornets got free throws on the other end to make it a four-point game.

Poeltl tied up Plumlee on a board and won the tip, then Dejounte pulled a jumper over Plumlee to halve the deficit. Rozier got it back with free throws. The Sours missed shots but fought for several offensive boards, then DJ sent LaMelo flying with a behind-the-back cross into a jumper.

The Spurs got a stop and Keldon got a look at three for the lead, but missed. Ball got free throws, making it 119-115 with 55 seconds left. Pop called time.

Murray ran pick and roll, drove through the paint and finished with a lefty scoop off the glass on a possession that took just 10 seconds. 

Primo got beat on a backdoor cut and fouled, and Martin hit both free throws. Keldon tried a three, but couldn't hit as the Spurs fouled again, and the Hornets hit again. Johnson missed again, making the Spurs 0-10 from three in the fourth. They lost 123-117, the fourth hit to their play-in chances in a row.

Pregame

The San Antonio Spurs (24-39) are back on the road as they visit the Charlotte Hornets (31-33) and look to snap their three-game losing skid.

San Antonio is 0-1 versus Charlotte this season. Before the game Gregg Popovich glowed about former assistant James Borrego, and spoke about his ability to build a culture around accountability and competitiveness while being a genuine person.

In their previous game, the Spurs lost the Kings, 115-112.

Lonnie Walker IV led the team with 30 points. Dejounte Murray had 29 points. Jakob Poeltl had 16 points and six rebounds.

"We weren't mentally ready to go and we can't play soft for half the game. That's the bottom line. There's really nothing else to say," Gregg Popovich said.

RELATED: Kings 115, Spurs 112: What they said after the game

Here are five things to watch for in tonight's game:

1. Since joining the Hornets on Feb. 10, center Montrezl Harrell has had a great impact, averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in his eight appearances.

2. The Hornets are averaging a league-leading 21.1 fast break points per contest while playing at the third-highest pace, averaging 102.00 possessions per game.

3. The Hornets have forced 15-plus turnovers in 37 games this season.

4. The Spurs lost their last two road games.

5. The Spurs have handed out more assists than their opponent in three-straight games.

Stay here at KENS 5 throughout the season for complete Spurs coverage.

 Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5

Before You Leave, Check This Out