Late Collapse Costs Spurs in 111–106 Loss to Rockets

The San Antonio Spurs left Toyota Center Tuesday night with a familiar and frustrating feeling, undone once again by a late-game collapse in a 111–106 loss to the Houston Rockets that spoiled an otherwise encouraging road performance.

For much of the evening, the Spurs were the sharper, more composed team. They opened the game with one of their best offensive quarters of the season, building a 39–28 lead behind quick ball movement, confident shooting, and an aggressive defense that kept Houston scrambling. San Antonio pushed the pace, shared the ball freely, and capitalized on early mismatches to seize control.

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That momentum carried into the second quarter, where the Spurs continued to dictate tempo. Victor Wembanyama provided flashes of brilliance throughout the night, but Houston’s defense on him was on point. He finished with just 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting, his worst performance of the season. Despite that, San Antonio entered halftime with a double-digit advantage and appeared well-positioned to secure a road win.

But as has been the case too often this season, sustaining that level proved difficult.

“A lot of things went wrong in the fourth quarter,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “Houston did a heck of a job… but we had a rough whole half. We missed open shots, we weren’t strong in creating leads, passing, and mental stuff. It was a variety of things across the board.”

The game began to tilt late in the third quarter when the Spurs’ offense stalled. Open looks that fell earlier in the night stopped dropping, and possessions grew increasingly stagnant. Houston took advantage, trimming the deficit with transition opportunities and second-chance points that energized the home crowd.

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What followed in the fourth quarter was decisive.

The Rockets opened the final period with renewed confidence, while the Spurs struggled to find rhythm. The Rockets outscored San Antonio 29–14 over the final 12 minutes. The Spurs went cold at the worst possible time, going 0-for-8 before their first made basket of the frame. The prolonged scoring drought allowed Houston to…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/collapse-costs-spurs-111-106-054124795.html

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Publish date : 2026-01-21 05:41:00

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