Spurs Rookie Blake Wesley Key in Comeback Win vs. Hawks

Blake Wesley wasn't the biggest playmaker for the San Antonio Spurs in their win against the Atlanta Hawks, but he showed up when it mattered most.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 20, 2023

Spurs Rookie Blake Wesley Key in Comeback Win vs. Hawks /

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San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs rookie Blake Wesley had just one point in the box score when he entered Sunday's game against the Atlanta Hawks with 6:13 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Spurs were trailing by five points, nearing a full 24-point comeback. By the time he exited the game with 2:43 to go, the Spurs were up five points, completing a 10-0 run with Wesley as the primary guard.

Wesley scored half of those points, including the go-ahead lay-up and a cold-blooded three to put the Spurs up four. The Spurs would go on to win the game 126-118.

"I couldn't do anything but smile to see Blake Wesley hit a big three," Keldon Johnson said. "Me and Blake were in the gym last night shooting. To see a rookie like that hit a big shot, I couldn't do anything but smile. Everybody stepped up in the second half. We stepped up on the defensive end. You got to play defense and play for each other."

Defensively, the Spurs struggled in the first half, allowing 83 points, but in the second half, San Antonio smuggled Atlanta defensively, allowing just 35 points. With the win, the Spurs came back from down 24 ... a stark difference compared to their 29-point collapse the previous game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Wesley's heroics were a big reason why the team was able to complete the comeback.

"It feels good. We're all happy. We didn't want to go out like the other night," Wesley said. "So to bounce back and get this win is huge for us. We didn't play good physicality in the first half but in the second half, we picked it up and you see the results,"

Wesley has played just 26 games with the Spurs in his rookie season after spending majority of the year in Austin with the G League team, but seeing him take advantage of an opportunity late in the year proves why San Antonio spent a first-round pick to draft him last summer.

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Published Mar 20, 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.