3 Takeaways from the Spurs’ 127-100 Blowout Loss to the Rockets

On Wednesday night, it got ugly in Houston for the San Antonio Spurs. Here's what we learned.

Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) shoots the ball as San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) defends during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs took a tough hit, falling 127-100 to the Houston Rockets on the road.

The game saw the Spurs trailing throughout, never managing to lead and showing continued struggles on both ends of the court. With this loss, San Antonio now holds a 3-5 record.

Here’s what we learned from the performance.

1. Turnovers Continue to Hurt the Spurs

Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts with forward Keldon Johnson (0) after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Turnovers remain a glaring issue for this young Spurs team, a trend that’s becoming all too familiar this season. In the loss to Houston, San Antonio gave up the ball 16 times—right in line with their season average of 16.6 turnovers per game, placing them T-25th in the NBA in this category.

Victor Wembanyama, despite leading the team in scoring with 15 points, accounted for four turnovers, while six other players added two apiece.

These mistakes are to be expected with a young roster, but cutting down on turnovers will be critical if the Spurs hope to stay competitive in the long run.

2. The Spurs Need Gregg Popovich’s Steadying Presence

Oct 31, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

With Gregg Popovich still absent due to a health issue, the Spurs are clearly feeling the impact of his absence.

Popovich’s influence as a legendary coach is irreplaceable, and without his steady hand, the team has now lost two consecutive games, looking shaky and inconsistent in both outings. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson is doing his best to fill in, but the difference is evident.

As everyone eagerly awaits Popovich’s return to the bench, look for him to bring some much-needed stability and guidance back to the sideline.

3. Welcome to the NBA, Two-Way Players

Nov 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Riley Minix (27) and Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green (32) battle for the ball during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

If there’s one silver lining to the blowout, it’s that rookies Harrison Ingram and Riley Minix had the chance to make their NBA debuts.

Though neither contributed much statistically—both went 0-for-1 from the field, with Minix grabbing two rebounds and Ingram pulling down one—getting court time is a milestone for these two-way players.

For players grinding hard in practice every day, minutes like these are invaluable for development.

While it’s unclear what the future holds for either player, both Ingram and Minix can now say they’ve taken their first steps on an NBA court.

---

San Antonio Spurs On Sports Illustrated

Gregg Popovich Latest: Spurs Coach Reportedly Dealing with 'Serious' Health Issue

It Takes A Castle: Stephon Castle's On-Court Impact Begins Off It

Julian Champagnie's Approach to Begin New Season? 'Just Keep Shooting'