Spurs host Rockets for 2nd straight matchup

A jam behind Victor Wembanyama’s head after securing his 19th rebound of the match simply wasn’t enough for the San Antonio Spursas they fell short at home against the Houston Rockets.

After battling back from down 21 — an early positive for a young team that likely couldn’t have done so last season — San Antonio made a crucial defensive error on its final defensive possession, leaving Fred VanVleet wide open from the outside the arch. .

The Rockets veteran converted, which cooled the game for Houston as it split the two-game series against its Western Conference rival.

READ MORE: Castle, Spurs ready for the second time in a row against Rockets

“A carbon copy of the game last night,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the game. “In the first half we gave up too many offensive rebounds, we turned it over too much. In the second half we cut that in half… that keeps you in the game. It’s that simple.”

Popovich praised the fight his team showed, but it proved to be too little too late as San Antonio fell 106-101 to drop to 1-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Rockets improve to 2-2.

Below is a full live thread of the game, starting with the fourth quarter:

Foreplay:

Notebook: Spurs set on fire by three-point shooting, but finds silver linings

It Takes a Castle: Stephon Castle’s on-field impact starts with it

Julian Champagnie’s approach to starting a new season? ‘Just keep shooting’