The Spurs didn’t just beat the Warriors on Friday night. They buried them early and never let the game breathe, rolling to a 123-85 win behind Stephon Castle’s 32 points and a defense that set the tone from the opening tip.
San Antonio’s 18-0 start told the whole story. The Spurs grabbed a double-digit lead less than two minutes into the game and spent the rest of the night in control, leading by 20 points for most of the contest. Golden State never found a foothold, and the first quarter was especially brutal: the Warriors didn’t score a point with Victor Wembanyama on the floor.
Castle was the headliner offensively, knocking down five 3-pointers and connecting early as Wembanyama fed him clean looks. The rookie’s shooting gave San Antonio instant separation, and the Spurs kept building from there.
“I think the defense probably ignites the offense more than vice versa,” coach Mitch Johnson said afterward. “So I still lean into the defense. Thought we were pretty on point with some of our game plan execution stuff and attention to detail.”
Wembanyama was at the center of the physical edge in the game, too. Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg had talked before the game about wanting to play rough with him, but it was Draymond Green who pushed that idea into action. Green hit Wemby in the neck at one point, then shoved him in the back on a rebound and was assessed a flagrant foul.
“It’s not a good basketball strategy, and it shows,” Wembanyama said. “I’m ready to put my body on the line for the team if that allows us to win by 40.”
Even with the attention on him, Wembanyama kept producing in limited minutes. He finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 21 minutes.
San Antonio also got a major lift from its bench, which piled up 58 points. Keldon Johnson scored 18, Harrison Barnes added 11, and the Spurs kept hammering the paint all night, outscoring Golden State 56-28 there. The Warriors did slightly better from long range by the final buzzer, but that was nowhere near enough to matter.
The win stretched San Antonio’s streak to 11 games. Next up, the Spurs head to Utah for a Sunday matinee against the Jazz. The national ground stop for all flights was lifted during the game.
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