Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell each score 26, with Sochan knocking down the game-winner, to lead the Spurs past the Suns! Sochan: 26 PTS, 18 REB Vassell: 26 PTS, 7 AST, 3 STL
This game was fairly competitive all 48 minutes, but things really heated up in the final possessions. In the end, the San Antonio Spurs pulled off the upset without Victor Wembanyama as they defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-102 at Frost Bank Center following Jeremy Sochan’s game winning three-pointer.
The final minute of this game was chaos. With 30 seconds remaining, Sochan hit his first triple of the night off a Devin Vassell pass to give the Spurs a 104-102 lead. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant then played a 2-man game in the final possession. Book drove to the lane and passed it out to KD for 3, but it rattled out.
Phoenix got the offensive rebound and this time the Slim Reaper hit his sidekick for the game-winning triple which also missed. Zach Collins secured the rebound and the buzzer went off. Everyone in the arena was cheering and Wemby was hyped. The visiting team, on the other hand, was shocked at what just transpired.
Sochan was the hero in this game, as he finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds while also hitting the game-winning shot. Devin Vassell also scored 26 points with 7 assists and 3 steals. Zach Collins had 18 points with 5 boards while Keldon Johnson provided 14 points off the bench.
Devin Booker scored a game-high 36 points and also had 3 blocks. Kevin Durant finished with 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 12/17 shooting. Bradley Beal struggled with just 9 points on 4/11 shooting. Jusuf Nurkic exited early with a right ankle sprain and did not return. He ended with 6 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocks in his 19 minutes.
Phoenix drops to 42-30 with this loss and falls to the 8th seed in the West. This is a game that the Suns would like to have back, as they should have came out on top, especially with no Wemby. In a competitive Western Conference where every game matters in terms of seeding, this outcome could come back and haunt the Arizona team if they end up making the play-in. They are 6-4 over their last 10 game and will look to bounce back on Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets.
San Antonio improves to 16-56 with this win. Although they have already been eliminated from the playoffs, the Spurs are using these last few games to develop their players and give them more playing time. They will be looking to add more young talent this off-season to help out Wembanyama. Their next matchup will be on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell each score 26, with Sochan knocking down the game-winner, to lead the Spurs past the Suns! Sochan: 26 PTS, 18 REB Vassell: 26 PTS, 7 AST, 3 STL