SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs (13-26) snapped a three-game losing skid with a total team effort in a 121-109 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night in San Antonio.
Tre Jones led the way with a near career high of 25 points, Jakob Poeltl almost had a triple double, and eight other guys scored 8 points or more.
San Antonio got out to a hot start by dominating Detroit inside, scoring 28 points in the paint in the first quarter and building an 8-point lead. The flip side was they couldn't connect from outside.
Starting in place of the injured Devin Vassell, Romeo Langford scored 7 points and hit a triple in the first half. Tre Jones led the Spurs with 12 points to go with 3 assists and a pair of steals. Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson each scored 8 points in the first half, but Johnson would miss the remainder of the game with a left hamstring issue. Jakob Poeltl stuffed the stat sheet early, heading to the locker room with 2 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, a steal and 2 blocks.
Despite the solid production and decent defense, San Antonio only led Detroit 51-48 at the break. They had 38 in the paint, but hit only 2-14 from three.
Right out of the break Tre Jones helped improve that percentage with a trey, but the Pistons surged ahead into the lead. Langford drove for a tough one off the glass, then Jones hit another layup, then Langford hit Stanley Johnson for a three.
Langford got a lane to the basket and tried to crank it just a little too hard, bricking the dunk. San Antonio got it back, and Langford drove again for a softer finish off the window. He went right back to the pick and roll, and right back to the right hand finish.
Josh Richardson hit free throws, then Malaki Branham did, then Branham rushed up the court and kicked it to Richardson for a triple and a 10-point lead. Sochan drove in for a short jumper, then Collins hit free throws and hit Branham for three. Sochan pushed the pace and found Richardson streaking through the middle for a wide-open reverse dunk.
San Antonio led Detroit 86-76 heading to the fourth.
The teams went back and forth before Detroit forced some turnovers and cut the Spurs' lead to 5 before a Pop timeout. Stanley Johnson hit his second three of the quarter, then Jones bullied his way into the lane to push their advantage back to double digits. With the clock winding down, Jones snaked his way into a mid-range jumper and sank it to get to 21 points on the night.
Poeltl scored on a hook inside, then Richardson drove and dumped it off to Doug McDermott cutting from the corner for a tough baseline reverse. Langford came back in the game and immediately turned the corner and floated one up and in. Branham cut backdoor, and Poeltl hit him for his sixth assist. Then Jones muscled his way in for another tough layup. Poeltl grabbed a loose one, pumped in the paint and scooped in a layup.
Detroit cut a 13-point deficit to 8 and nearly forced the Spurs into a turnover, but Branham dribbled into a three with the shot clock winding down. Poeltl got a putback, then got it to Branham for a bucket inside.
The Spurs won 121-109, and ten guys finished with at least 8 points. Tre Jones led the way with 25, and Jakob Poeltl finished with 11 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks.
GAME REWIND
The Spurs are coming off a 117-114 road loss versus the New York Knicks.
Keldon Johnson had 26 points and seven rebounds to lead the team while Josh Richardson added 20 points off the bench. Doug McDermott finished with 15 points and two rebounds while Zach Collins recorded 16 points in the loss.
The Knicks forced 15 turnovers, including six blocks and seven steals. This is the first time the team accomplished the feat since December 16th, 2021 versus Houston.
“Those fourth-quarter executions are difficult for young players. Sometimes not even realize what might have been drawn. Setting up incorrectly," Popovich said. "Takes them to understand that the physicality of the game, especially at the end of the game, and how difficult it is to get open and how to set yourself up. It seems basic, or something easy, but it's not."
INJURY REPORT
LOCKED ON SPURS PREVIEWS SPURS-PISTONS
THE UNIFORMS
The Spurs will be in their City Edition jerseys today.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1. The Pistons have outrebounded their opponents in three-straight games.
2. The Pistons are 0-16 on the road when trailing at the end of the third period.
3. The Pistons have attempted more free throws than their opponents in 12-straight games.
4. The Spurs have turned the ball over more than their opponent in three-straight games.
5. The Spurs are 0-10 at home when trailing after the third period.
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