Devin Vassell hit a career-high eight 3-pointers en route to a career-best 37 points for the host San Antonio Spurs, who were at their best in the second half of a 127-113 victory over the slumping Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
The Spurs led by five points at halftime but took charge in the third quarter, stretching their lead to 23 with three minutes to play before going to the fourth up by 19. Brooklyn never got closer than 12 the rest of the way as San Antonio won for the second time in its past three contests.
Stephon Castle added 17 points for the Spurs while Keldon Johnson and De’Aaron Fox added 15 each, Bismack Biyombo amassed 13 points and 14 rebounds and Chris Paul scored 11 points as San Antonio shot 54.7 percent from the floor. Fox and Paul each dished out seven of the Spurs’ 37 assists.
Cam Thomas led Brooklyn with 24 points, with Cameron Johnson scoring 17, Jalen Wilson adding 13 and Trendon Watford and D’Angelo Russell hitting for 12 apiece. Watford pulled down 10 boards as the Nets dropped their fifth straight game.
The Spurs led 27-19 after Castle’s floating jumper at the 2:07 mark of the first quarter. But Brooklyn rallied behind a pair of free throws and then a bucket from Thomas and trailed just 31-25 after 12 minutes of play.
The Nets reeled off the first 10 points of the second period, with Watford’s floater and 3-pointer, the latter at the 9:44 mark, granting Brooklyn a 35-31 lead. Russell and Wilson canned back-to-back 3-pointers for Brooklyn to push the margin to 43-35 with 7:43 to play in the quarter.
San Antonio retook the lead on a three-point play by Vassell with 4:11 left in the quarter and held the lead the rest of the first half. Fox’s driving layup at the horn put the Spurs up 62-57 at the break.
Vassell led San Antonio with 13 points before halftime while Keldon Johnson added 11 off the bench and Biyombo had 10 as the Spurs shot 54.3 percent in the half. Thomas paced the Nets with 13 points over the first two quarters.
The Spurs dominated the third quarter, stoking their advantage to 91-68 when Vassell poured in a 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining. San Antonio carried a 99-80 lead into the final quarter.
–Field Level Media
