Julian Champagnie spent Tuesday night doing what he’s quickly made into a San Antonio specialty: torching the record book from deep.
In the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center, Champagnie buried eight 3-pointers, matching his own Spurs record for makes from beyond the arc in a half. He did it with ruthless efficiency, finishing the opening two quarters 8-of-10 from three and scoring all 24 of his points on triples alone.
The result was a San Antonio avalanche. The Spurs put up 80 points before halftime and walked into the break with an 80-54 cushion.
Champagnie’s shooting blitz was the headline, but it was hardly a solo act. Victor Wembanyama added 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting, while also grabbing nine rebounds and blocking two shots. Second-year guard Dylan Harper supplied nine points and five rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox contributed eight points and five assists.
As a group, the Spurs were rolling everywhere. They shot 60% from the floor, hit 13 of 22 attempts from 3-point range and piled up 23 assists against only four turnovers. Their biggest burst came in the second quarter, which they won 41-25 and turned into a lead that grew to 26 points.
Sacramento leaned on Domantas Sabonis to stay within reach. He had 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting, but the Kings couldn’t match San Antonio’s pace or precision. Zach LaVine and De’Andre Hunter had eight points apiece at the half.
For Champagnie, the outburst fit a pattern. He already owns the Spurs’ single-game 3-point record after hitting 11 against the New York Knicks last season, breaking Chuck Person’s previous mark of nine. He also outshot the entire Houston Rockets roster from deep in the first half of a game in January.
Now he’s flirting with another absurd night. With one half still to go, he needs just three more made 3s to tie his own single-game record.
The timing couldn’t be much better for San Antonio. The Spurs came in at 1-2 after losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, then snapped back with a road win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
A victory Tuesday would pull them back to 2-2 before they head to face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Tough Decision Behind Wembanyama
The Spurs are still sorting through the early-season edges of their rotation, and the center minutes behind Victor Wembanyama are already drawing attention after two home losses in the first three games. Mitch Johnson singled out rookie Tarris Reed Jr. for the energy and defense he brought against Dallas, a useful sign for a team trying to find steadier footing when Wembanyama rests.
Luke Kornet entered the season looking like part of that backup equation, but Reeds early showing gives San Antonio a different kind of option to consider. If the Spurs want more resistance and activity in those non-Wembanyama stretches, the frontcourt mix may not stay fixed for long, and that is the sort of decision that can shape not just a game, but the rhythm of an entire rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Upgrade Around Wembanyama
Injuries to Anthony Edwards and Jalen Williams have turned the Spurs roster-building conversations into something more immediate, and it has them looking at ways to sharpen the group around Victor Wembanyama. The appeal is obvious: San Antonio needs more defense and more dependable shooting, and the kind of upgrades that once felt like long-shot ideas suddenly feel more plausible when the market shifts.
Two names that surface in those discussions are PJ Washington and Royce ONeale, each offering a different fit for what the Spurs are trying to build. Washington would bring frontcourt versatility, while ONeale would add another wing who can defend and space the floor, but neither idea is simple, and any move would still depend on player availability and approvals before it goes anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A New Frost Bank Center Feel Players Are Talking About
The Frost Bank Center has a different look these days, and it is the kind of arena tweak players tend to notice right away. San Antonio has installed a new lighting system that puts more emphasis on the court while dimming the seating areas, bringing the building in line with what many other NBA venues already do.
Luke Kornet has already picked up on the change and talked about how it alters the atmosphere inside the building, giving games a sharper focus once the lights go down. Coach Mitch Johnson, meanwhile, has not made much of the adjustment himself, which only adds to the sense that this is one of those subtle arena changes that matters more to the people on the floor than the people running the team. [Read more 🡒]