EDINBURG, Texas - Chris Kent’s first game as a head coach at any level came with plenty of drama, and the Austin Spurs made sure it lasted all the way to the final horn.
Austin nearly let a 20-point lead slip away, then had to survive a furious Rio Grande Valley push before escaping with a 120-116 win Friday night at Bert Ogden Arena. The Spurs are 1-0 to start the season, but this one was anything but comfortable.
The Vipers turned the final quarter into a full-blown scare, ripping off a 14-4 run to close the gap after Austin had been in control for most of the night. In the end, two-way rookie Maliq Brown secured the game-saving defensive rebound, and G League veteran Jon Elmore finished it at the line with two clutch free throws.
For much of the first half, Austin looked sharp and in command. The ball moved well, the defense was tight, and the Spurs built their biggest cushion of the night at 20 points in the second quarter. But the game flipped after halftime, when Rio Grande Valley came out with more pace and chipped away at the lead, trimming the deficit to five in the third.
The tension spiked after Malik Williams dunked in traffic and stayed on the rim a little too long. Rio Grande Valley forward Vameron Matthews grabbed at Williams’ leg while he was hanging, and that set off a scuffle.
Austin assistant coach Carson Shanks sprinted from the far end of the floor to pull Williams away from the crowd. After a review, officials handed out technical fouls to both Williams and Matthews.
Austin’s second-half issues were tied to sloppy ball-handling and trouble handling the Vipers’ pressure. The Spurs had been hot from deep in the first half, hitting 11 of 24 from three, but cooled off badly after the break and finished 3 of 18 from beyond the arc.
Rio Grande Valley also played with more urgency over the final 24 minutes than it had in the first half, when its approach was much more deliberate.
Officially acquired earlier in the day, NBA veteran Ochai Agbaji looked like a player who has been through plenty of pro battles. He led Austin with 29 points and 10 rebounds, giving the Spurs a big lift on both ends.
Two-way rookie Ja’Kobi Gillespie turned in a strong all-around showing in his first meaningful action since the preseason, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block. RJ Davis also scored 19 off the bench and added four assists.
Elmore and Jayden Nunn, the only returner from last year’s team, did their damage from long range and combined for all 25 of their points from three-point range. Austin had six players score in double figures, and Brown, Agbaji and Terry Taylor each pulled down 10 rebounds.
The Spurs now turn to their home opener Sunday at 3 p.m. Central against the New Orleans Pelicans-affiliate Laketown Squadron at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Devin Vassell Decision That Could Shift Everything
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If he cannot go, Julian Champagnie is expected to slide into the starting lineup, which would give the Spurs a different look on the wing. That kind of adjustment can ripple through the rotation quickly, especially against a Suns team that will punish any offensive timing issues. For San Antonio, the question is not only whether Vassell can suit up, but how much the lineup changes if he cannot. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gets A Chance To Silence One Spurs Rivals Confidence
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That is what makes the next meeting so interesting from the Spurs side. Brooks may be carrying confidence from what happened before, but those results do not automatically travel with him when Wembanyama is playing with more physicality and a clearer sense of how to control a game. For San Antonio, it is a chance to see whether one of the leagues most outspoken defenders can still bother a player who has already shown he can keep evolving past old scouting reports. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Spurs Showed One Unbeaten Trait Fans Should Notice
The Austin Spurs opened their home slate at H-E-B Center with a 115-103 win over the Laketown Squadron, and the early signs of cohesion were hard to miss. JaKobi Gillespie set the tone with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Terry Taylor supplied a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds as Austin kept its unbeaten start rolling.
For a team still settling into the season, the bigger takeaway may be how comfortably the Spurs are sharing the load and dictating the pace in the first week. At 2-0, they head into their Tip-Off Tournament matchup with the Memphis Hustle carrying momentum, and a chance to show whether this balanced start is a real early-season trait or just a strong opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]