The San Antonio Spurs took another hit to their morale, marking their 17th consecutive loss after the Houston Rockets, fueled by Tari Eason's season-high 18 points and 14 rebounds, sealed a 93-82 victory. This disheartening streak is now the longest in the team's history—a bitter pill to swallow for a franchise known for its storied success. Victor Wembanyama, the top overall pick, delivered a notable performance with 15 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocks, as reported by KSAT.
Despite the mounting losses, Wembanyama aims to remain optimistic about the team's future. "Of course it’s not easy, but we don’t have a choice," he candidly told KSAT. "Keep going, keep grinding. The good thing is nobody doubts that in the long run we’re going to be the winners. ... I hate losing, but I stay focused on the long run goal." Eason's off-the-bench spark was instrumental for the Rockets, who managed to quickly convert a close contest into a comfortable lead with Fred VanVleet's three-pointer and subsequent plays.
Houston’s coach, Ime Udoka, took pride in his team's defensive effort that spearheaded the victory. Despite not playing their best offensive game, Udoka appreciated that the team "really relied on our defense," as he highlighted in a statement obtained by KSAT. This win marks the Rockets' 10th consecutive home victory and their third in a row overall.
The Spurs, who haven't tasted victory since November 2, faced a tough shooting night, with the team collectively making only 5 of 41 attempts from the three-point line. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell particularly struggled, missing all nine and eight of their respective long-range shots. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich expressed his frustration, telling Fox San Antonio, "I just feel badly — it’s hard to know what to do when you’re missing that many shots." Popovich stressed his wish for the squad to "catch a break that way as far as making some shots."
As the Spurs gear up to host back-to-back home games against the Lakers, they are desperate to break free from the losing streak that has dogged them for over a month. Eason, VanVleet, and Sengun, on the other hand, will hope to extend the Rockets' winning run when they take on Memphis in their upcoming game, as mentioned in coverage by Fox San Antonio. Both teams are now bracing themselves for a challenging schedule ahead as they look to either maintain winning momentum or claw their way back to a much-needed win.
