In an impressive display, Devin Vassell delivered a standout performance with a career-high 37 points and 10 rebounds, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a decisive 127-113 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Brooklyn Nets, now holding a 21-40 record, extended their losing streak to five games, which sets them back 2 1/2 games from 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
For the Nets, Cam Thomas emerged as their top scorer with 24 points, while Cameron Johnson contributed 17. On the Spurs’ side, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox each scored 17 points, and Keldon Johnson added 15 to their tally. Adding to the Spurs’ strength, Bismack Biyombo, who signed a contract for the remainder of the season just hours before the game, finished with 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Vassell demonstrated exceptional shooting by hitting 8 of his 11 three-point attempts and dished out five assists. The Spurs established a dominant lead, pushing ahead by as much as 25 points, which secured their second win in the last seven games. Despite the absence of their key player, Victor Wembanyama, who is sidelined for the rest of the season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder, the Spurs controlled the paint, outscoring the Nets 62-40.
Takeaways from the game included an underwhelming performance from the Nets’ D’Angelo Russell, who managed 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting, alongside only four assists. On the other hand, the Spurs celebrated a significant milestone when Chris Paul scored a 3-pointer in the second quarter, marking the 20,000th successful 3-pointer in the team’s history. The team ended the game with an impressive 18 out of 39 from beyond the arc.
A pivotal moment came as Vassell hit a 3-pointer with 2:23 left in the game to set his new career high, surpassing his previous best of 33 points, achieved against Atlanta on November 30, 2023. A noteworthy statistic from the game was San Antonio’s record-setting 37 assists, making them the first NBA team to maintain a streak of 20-plus assists in 200 consecutive games, with Indiana in second at 150 games.
Looking ahead, the Brooklyn Nets are set to host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Spurs will travel to Sacramento to face the Kings on Friday, marking De’Aaron Fox’s first appearance at the Golden 1 Center since being traded to the Spurs on February 5.
