San Antonio Spurs Fumble 4th Quarter Lead in Loss vs. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets outscored the San Antonio Spurs by 23 points in the fourth quarter to steal away the game.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 16, 2023

San Antonio Spurs Fumble 4th Quarter Lead in Loss vs. Houston Rockets /

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San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are back in the loss column after a 99-89 loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday night at the Frost Bank Center.

The Spurs played without Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones, but looked good through three quarters. In particular, Zach Collins led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds on 8 of 10 shooting from the field.

Keldon Johnson also played in his first game of the preseason for the Spurs after missing the first two contests with a hamstring injury. Johnson struggled with his shot, making just 4 of 13 from the field, but finished with 11 points. Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham also found themselves in double figures.

San Antonio led by 13 points going into the fourth quarter, but Houston's bench didn't quit. With the reserves in the game, the Rockets outscored the Spurs 36-13 in the final frame and stole away a win.

San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) blocks a shot by Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) in the first half at the Frost Bank Center. — San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) blocks a shot by Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) in the first half at the Frost Bank Center / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

The Spurs shouldn't let this upset their positive developments from earlier in the game. The team's core rotation players that suited up tonight played well and there's something to build upon as the team enters the final week of training camp.

Houston was led by rookies Amen Thompson (No. 4 pick) and Cam Whitmore (No. 20 pick), who each scored 15 points off the bench. Veterans Aaron Holiday and Fred VanVleet scored 12 apiece, while Dillon Brooks added 10.

The two teams will be back in action Wednesday in a rematch at Frost Bank Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Published Oct 16, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.