The San Antonio Spurs’ game against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night was nearing disaster. By halftime, they were down by 35 points to Trae Young’s squad, getting absolutely outplayed. Things got so bad that head coach Gregg Popovich decided to bench his starters to begin the third quarter.
Popovich was upset at the Spurs’ effort in the first half, so he put in the bench, and they actually provided a nice spark. However, he did leave one starter in the game to begin the second half – Jeremy Sochan. The second-year forward was having one of his best games of the season.
After the game, Wembanyama praised Sochan, stating that he was glad Popovich left him in the game. (H/t Jeremy Brener of Inside the Spurs)
“We probably had the worst first half so far and he (Popovich) wanted to change the lineup in the second half,” Wembanyama said. “We wanted to put players he can trust to give 100% on the court. I appreciate also that he put Jeremy in the starting lineup.”
Sochan finished the game with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks while shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 2-of-4 from behind the three-point line.
He helped lead the charge in the second half. Sochan had eight points, five rebounds, and four assists in the final two quarters alone.
Wembanyama building up his teammate and showing him some love after the game despite the loss was fun to see, and it’s a good sign for their chemistry moving forward.
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