San Antonio bludgeoned the once-vaunted Miami defense with three straight quarters of 30+ point scoring on their way to a 136-111 road win. The Heat and Spurs began this late season matchup with the proper respect and went after each other with a physicality resembling a conference semifinals game. But with matching 38 point bursts to counter all of the physicality that the Heat threw at them, the Spurs put up nearly 80 points in a first half that just missed the mystical 50/40/90 mark (52% FG, 45% 3-Pt, 88% FT). San Antonio did not let off the gas from there, as they started the second half with a white-hot 13-0 run to put the game away and make it five straight games where the Heat have given up 120 points or more.
Wembanyama (26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks) had himself an all-around brilliant night along with too many highlight plays to keep track of. Stephon Castle (19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), and 2 steals and De’Aaron Fox (14 points and 6 assists) provided plentiful support of their MVP and DPOY candidate. San Antonio’s bench demonstrably showed up, as Keldon Johnson (21 points and 6 rebounds) and Dylan Harper (21 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds) bullied their Heat counterparts, while Carter Bryant (6 points and 7 rebounds) continued to impress with his dogged on-ball defense. Miami’s veterans led the way in defeat and were the only ones to get into double digits – Tyler Herro (18 points and 5 rebounds), Bam Adebayo (18 points and 4 assists), and Norman Powell (21 points).
The starting guards were front and center in a highly competitive and physical first 12 minutes – Fox for the Spurs and Herro for the Heat. There was much offense to be had all around, as the teams put up 40+ points combined by the halfway mark. San Antonio was able to create some separation late in the quarter through the playmaking of Fox and Harper. Herro, Wiggins, and Adebayo supplied roughly 70% of the team’s output until Kasparas Jakucionis hit two late threes to close Miami within seven.
After some quiet moments, Wembanyama figured on the next five San Antonio baskets – four baskets and one assist – and made the second quarter his own personal playground. Undeterred, Norman Powell and Adebayo closed the gap with some needed scoring for Miami. More important than the persistently impressive offense, the San Antonio’s rookies, Bryant and Harper, made their presence known by hounding Miami’s ballhandlers. In a game seemingly made for him, Johnson’s eight point flurry (which drove Austin Rivers to repeatedly call him ‘bowling ball’) drove the Spurs to 76-58 going to the break.
An opening 13-0 run done with frightening fervor, including two lobs to Wembanyama, pushed San Antonio ahead by as much as 29 and put them in the driver’s seat. Miami did start finding their collective shooting stroke later in the third, but there was too much distance between the teams by then.
Both teams traded buckets over the first couple of minutes. Fox scored from all three levels to get an early eight points. Miami was able to pester San Antonio on their drives and crowd their spaces, and Wiggins’ two jumpers helped them stay on the Spurs’ heels. Vassell hit a left corner three, and moments later, had a chance for a rightside leaner but instead fed Johnson at the same spot for a swish. After snaring an offensive rebound, Castle took a vicious hit to the side of his head from Jaquez’s knee and immediately exited. Fox got to double digits on a floater to put San Antonio ahead five. Jakucionis connected on two triples, but Barnes’ handful of points kept the Spurs ahead 38-31.
Wembanyama blocked two Heat attempts – one on each side of the rim(!) – to keep the Heat momentarily off the scoreboard. On what might be the greatest 6-0 Wemby-era run, Wembanyama and Bryant fed each other lobs, and those actions were punctuated by the Defensive Player of the Year forcing a brutal Adebayo miss on one end and cramming a thunderous jam in transition. Castle’s personal 5-0 run helped put San Antonio 18 and the team passed 60 points with 5+ minutes to go. Consecutive threes from Johnson helped preserve that advantage and the Spurs went to the half up 18.
Miami got and missed countless wide open perimeter attempts to start the third period but the Spurs went scoreless for nearly two minutes themselves until Wembanyama’s floater. Devin Vassell’s catch-and-shoot and-1 put San Antonio up 21, and San Antonio never looked back from there.
For the Heat fan’s perspective, please visit Hot Hot Heat.
San Antonio takes on GG Jackson and the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night at 7:00 PM CDT.