San Antonio had seven players score in double figures, but the defense didn’t hold in their third loss in a row.
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs (19-55) got a 30-point double-double from Keldon Johnson and had six other players score in double figures, but it wasn’t enough as they fell to the Wizards 124-136 in Washington.
Malaki Branham got the scoring started for the Spurs with a floater in the lane. On the next play, Sandro Mamukelashvili finished a feed from Keldon Johnson with a finger roll, then scored inside again. Keldon got his own miss and popped it in over Kristaps Porzingis before finishing through contact on a drive a few possessions later.
Mamu pumped at the arc, drove, jumped and hung in the air before making a sick lefty pass through traffic for a dunk by Keita Bates-Diop.
Mamukelashvili finished a floater off a pass from Keldon, then tipped in a miss. KBD also popped in a miss by Keldon. KJ kept attacking the rim and got some free throws for his trouble. The Wizards went on a run to make it 29-22.
Julian Champagnie came around a screen, caught and fired a jumper from the elbow that found the bottom. Dom Barlow came up with a big block, and it led to some beautiful ball movement that ended when Doug McDermott kissed it off the glass for two points. San Antonio trailed 33-26 after one.
Champagnie blocked a shot, recovered the loose ball, and started a break where the ball swung all the way around the horn and found him in the corner for three. Blake Wesley whipped it to McDermott for three more, then did the same on the next possession. McDermott poked a steal loose, then crammed home a thunderous jam on the other end through a foul.
KBD knocked down a triple, and suddenly San Antonio’s deficit was down to 2.
Washington pushed back before another floater from Branham. The Wizards extended their lead to 13, then Keldon drove strong for an and-1. Barlow went straight up for another big block, then forced a miss when a guard tried to iso, then impacted another shot at the rim.
Branham pumped in the corner, drove and stepped past the defense for a layup. He drove and popped in another short range shot. KBD eurosteped through the lane and kissed a reverse layup in off the window to make it a four-point game.
Johnson drove hard again and hooked one in with his right. Devonte’ Graham drove and dumped it to Barlow for a short j from the baseline. Branham missed a three from the corner, but chased it and popped it in. Tre Jones drove baseline and got his layup to fall. The Spurs went to halftime down 66-62.
Branham scored on a short jumper, then drilled a three off a pass from Mamukelashvili.
Sandro assisted on the next bucket too, a handoff to KBD for three. KBD missed inside, but Mamu was there to tip it back in. On the other end, Mamukelashvili rotated over for a big block on Porzingis. Jones bounced it to Keldon cutting backdoor in transition to make it a one-point game.
Jones drove with the clock winding down and finished inside. On the next trip he hit Keldon, who knifed through the defense for an and-1 layup that gave the Spurs their first lead since the first quarter. He missed the free throw, but grabbed the miss and passed it out to Graham for three.
KJ caught and fired from the arc, sinking his first triple of the game. Washington answered, then Keldon drove for more free throws. Washington moved back in front, but Champagnie hit from midrange and McDermott hit another three. Wesley drove and drew multiple defenders before scooping it to a cutting Champagnie for an and-1.
Washington led 99-98 heading to the fourth quarter, and they went on a quick run to make it 112-104. Champagnie blocked a shot, and Graham drove for a difficult layup in traffic. The Wizards pushed it to their largest lead of the game at 18 points. KBD hit another three, and Keldon drained one through a foul, but the Wizards just kept going.
Keldon swished a three to make it 30 points on the game along with 10 boards, his second double-double in a row. San Antonio fell 124-136.
Keita Bates-Diop added 20, McDermott had 18 off the bench, Branham finished with 15, and Champagnie, Jones and Mamukelashvili all finished in double figures as well.
The Spurs will finish their road trip in Boston on Sunday.
GAME REWIND
The Spurs are coming off a 130-94 road loss to the Bucks.
Devin Vassell had 16 points and four rebounds to lead the team while Sandro Mamukelashvili added 12 points. Keita Bates-Diop finished with 14 points and three rebounds while Jeremy Sochan had 13 points in the loss.
San Antonio was without Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Doug McDermott, Devonte Graham, and Romeo Langford due to injuries.
“Aside from all their [Bucks] talent and experience, they just do everything the right way every single time down,” Keita Bates-Diop said. “That’s a championship basketball team. You got to learn against teams like that they’ve been through it with veteran guys.”
San Antonio ends the regular-season series with the Bucks at 1-1.
INJURY REPORT
THE UNIFORMS
The Spurs will be in their Classic Edition jerseys today.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1. The Wizards are on a four-game losing skid including two-straight losses at home.
2. The Wizards are 14-2 at home when leading after the third period.
3. The Wizards are 3-9 in the month of March.
4. The Spurs have been out-rebounded by their opponents in three-straight games.
5. The Spurs are averaging 101.3 points per game in their last three games.
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