Devin Vassell scored 25 points and rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama had key baskets at the end of regulation and in the extra period as the San Antonio Spurs came from behind to beat the visiting Houston Rockets 126-122 in overtime on Friday in an early-season Lone Star State showdown.
The Rockets led by seven points after three quarters and continued to hold the lead throughout the fourth period until Wembanyama tied the score at 111 on a driving layup with 20.2 seconds to play. Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. missed a 29-foot 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in regulation, sending the game into the extra period.
The Spurs scored the first six points of overtime, getting a jumper from Wembanyama, a rousing dunk by Keldon Johnson and another dunk from Zach Collins off a nifty assist from Vassell. Houston never got closer than two points the rest of the way.
Wembanyama added 21 points and 12 rebounds for his first career double-double. Johnson scored 20 points and Jeremy Sochan and Cedi Osman finished with 14 points each for San Antonio.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Fred VanVleet added 24 points, Jalen Green scored 22, Dillon Brooks contributed 17 points, Smith chipped in 13 and Jeff Green finished with 10 points.
The first quarter featured four ties and four lead changes, the last of the latter coming on Tre Jones’ jumper with 1:22 remaining to put the Spurs in front at 22-20. Malaki Branham rattled home a 3-pointer a minute later to push San Antonio’s edge to five points before Jeff Green banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer that brought the Rockets back to within 25-23 after the opening quarter.
Houston owned the majority of the second quarter, building as much as a nine-point advantage after a driving layup by VanVleet with 1:58 to play before halftime. But that’s when the Spurs found their stride, reeling off a 10-1 run to end the half and tie the score at 52 at the break.
Vassell’s 14 points by intermission paced all scorers. VanVleet had 13 points to lead the Rockets before halftime, with Jalen Green adding 12 for Houston.
–Field Level Media
