Spurs Outrebounded, Outplayed by Rockets in Preseason Finale

The San Antonio Spurs "let it get away from them" in the second half, ending their preseason slate with a road loss, but with one week remaining until the regular season, the focus almost entirely lies there.

Oct 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham (22) shoots against Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) in the first quarter at Toyota Center. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The San Antonio Spurs, entering their final preseason game before the regular season opener, weren't worried about results, but they did have players to keep track of.

The Houston Rockets, on the other hand, entered the contest riding a two-game win streak and rallied behind both Jalen Green's 30-point performance and home-court advantage, ultimately cruising past the Spurs, 129-107.

READ MORE: How Have Stephon Castle, Harrison Ingram Fared in Preseason?

For San Antonio, Stephon Castle and Malaki Branham led the way, combining for 31 points to help invigorate the Spurs while Sidy Cissoko followed behind, making an impact late in the fourth quarter to show off his potential. It might have been garbage time, but it was a good sign nonetheless.

"I saw a lot of things I liked," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We hung tough in the first and third quarters ... and we'll cocentrate on the things we saw on both ends that were good."

Despite multiple strong performances, however, San Antonio's loss came down to the boards. Last game against the Miami Heat, Coach Gregg Popovich spoke on a lack of physicality, and that seemed to be the case once again in Houston, as the Spurs were outrebounded 38-55.

Oct 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Charles Bassey (28) and Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) wait for a rebound in the third quarter at Toyota Center. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

San Antonio went scoreless in the first two minutes of a game — a slight ramification of five key players resting — but once they got going, the first period ended up being the most competitive of the bunch, as both teams were knotted at 31 points a piece heading to the second.

After that, Houston broke away and never looked back. The Spurs never captured another lead beyond the first 12 minutes.

But they did have some highlights.

l👀k out below! pic.twitter.com/2XgzGxp4kt

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 18, 2024

By time the fourth quarter rolled around, Houston still had some of its starters in the mix while the Spurs' offensive attack turned into a slopfest.

Charles Bassey, who finished with 10 points got his first minutes of the game — marking his second straight appearance — and the bench was emptied, giving Malachi Flynn and Brandon Boston Jr. a chance to impress one last time.

Cissoko's late-game success was a positive, and Castle's overall performance was certainly on display, as his patience under the rim and ability to be physical down low underscored his efficient night. Other than him, it was Branham who had the strongest night, giving the Spurs some much-needed hope in terms of his development.

With the loss, the Spurs close out their preseason slate with a 2-3 record, and head into the final week of practice before their regular-season opener in Dallas against Luka Dončić and the Mavericks.

Tipoff from that contest — Victor Wembanyama's sophomore debut — is set for 6:30 p.m.

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