Spurs fade in Houston as a flat ‘Wemby’ struggles and Doncic shines in Denver
A night of comebacks in the NBA. The Texans lost a game against the Rockets in which they were leading by 16 points in a horrible last quarter, while the Angelinos rallied after being behind on the scoreboard against the Nuggets who continue to miss Jokic.
Doncic tries to drive to the basket against Spencer Jones (21).
The Victor Wembanyama-led San Antonio Spurs let a wide lead slip away Tuesday and fell 111-106 in the Texas derby against the Houston Rockets, while Los Angeles Lakers paid a successful visit the Denver Nuggets behind a showcase performance by Luka Doncic.
Just a day after beating the Utah Jazz, the Spurs threw away a valuable win against the Rockets, a direct rival in the Western Conference, with a ruinous last quarter. The Texans were stuck on the outside shooting (0-13 in three-pointers) and on the other end young shooter Reed Sheppard punished them with 21 points and 4 three-pointers off the bench.
Wembanyama showed the same level of inaccuracy as his teammates, finishing with just 14 points and 10 rebounds, on a series of 5-21 shooting from the field and 0-7 three-pointers. Opposite, their rival in the paint, Turkey's Alperen Sengun, brushed the triple double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists and veteran Kevin Durant stood at 18 points for the Rockets.
The Spurs built as much as a 16-point lead in the third quarter on the back of the inspired Julian Champagnie, who scored 27 points and eight 3-pointers, six of them in the first half. San Antonio, which had won the first Texan game in November, remains in second place in the West with a record of 30 wins and 14 losses.
The Rockets (26-15) are fourth in the conference and will again play host in the next clash against the Spurs on January 28.
Doncic marked his status as the fans’ top All-Star vote-getter with a triple-double
Luka Doncic celebrated being the player most voted by fans for the All-Star Game with a monumental triple double in the Lakers' 115-107 win at Denver. The Slovenian finished with 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while LeBron James again finished close to his first triple double at age 41, with a 19-9-8 record.
A 12-0 run in the fourth quarter stopped the Lakers, who also overcame a 16-point deficit (80-64) against a Nuggets team that continues to miss its leader, the injured Nikola Jokic.
The Angelenos moved into fifth place in the West with a 26-16 record, tied with the Phoenix Suns, who beat the Philadelphia 76ers 116-110 in the return of Jalen Green (12 points) after two months off.
Warriors fall in their first game without Butler
The Golden State Warriors fell 145-127 to the Toronto Raptors in the first game since Jimmy Butler's serious injury, which will keep him out for the rest of the season. The 36-year-old shooting guard suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Monday's win over the Miami Heat.
Still assimilating the blow, the Warriors could not handle the Raptors led by point guard Immanuel Quickley, who had 40 points and 10 assists. Golden State coach Steve Kerr turned to Jonathan Kuminga, whom he was keeping out of the rotation, to make up for the missing points without Butler.
The Congolese forward, who has requested a trade to another team because of a lack of minutes, scored 20 points in 21 minutes off the bench while all-star Stephen Curry was held to 16.
LATEST
