Tag: Keldon Johnson

Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr. has career night as Rockets lose to Keldon Johnson, Spurs

#Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. continued his recent surge by scoring a career-high 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to win Thursday versus Keldon Johnson and the hot-shooting Spurs.

After leading for much of the first half, the game quickly spiraled for the Rockets in Thursday’s second half at San Antonio — punctuated by an epic poster dunk from Alperen Sengun that somehow didn’t count. The Spurs won, 118-109, (box score) to snap their 11-game losing streak.

Houston (7-18) fell somewhat back to Earth after having won two of its previous three games and four of its last seven. Ultimately, it was a battle of rebuilding teams who should each pick high in the first-round order of the 2023 NBA draft, pending lottery results.

Rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. continued his strong run with a career-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting (69.2%), including 4-of-7 on 3-pointers (57.1%). Unfortunately, it was offset by a poor shooting night from Houston’s starting backcourt. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. combining to make just 10-of-33 shots (30.3%).

Big man Alperen Sengun had 16 points (47.1% FG) and 11 rebounds for the Rockets in 29 minutes, but he also had three turnovers, including one on the controversial dunk that didn’t count.

The Spurs (7-18) were led by third-year forward Keldon Johnson, who had 31 points and 7 rebounds while shooting an impressive 14-of-20 from the field (70%) and 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60%). As a team, the Spurs made 55.4% of their shots overall, 36.1% on 3-pointers, and 86.7% on free throws — well ahead of Houston in all of those categories.

Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and postgame interviews from San Antonio. The Rockets return to action Sunday against Milwaukee for the start of a season-long seven-game homestand. The tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central from Toyota Center.

OKC Thunder player grades: SGA, Darius Bazley combine for 59 points in heartbreaking 122-120 loss to Spurs

Anotha game, anotha 30-pointer for SGA

In arguably the most entertaining loss of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder fall to the San Antonio Spurs, 122-120. It would feel a little malpractice to not write or say much about the first 45:41 of this game, but considering just how chaotic the final 2:19 was, this game has earned an exception.

To start things off, with the Thunder trailing by three, Aleksej Pokusevski — who is going to be mentioned a lot in this piece due to how massive of a role he played in the final couple minutes of the game — got fouled from behind the three-point line. Now keep in mind that Pokusevski has taken just 31 total free-throw attempts in 52 games this season, shooting just 67.7 percent from the line. Knowing this, it would be pretty hard to imagine Pokusevski hitting all three but that’s exactly what happened here. So okay, much to the surprise of many, Pokusevski hit all three free throws and the game is tied back up.

The Spurs would miss on the next possession and that miss led to a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shooting foul, where the 80 percent career free throw shooter split the difference. With the Thunder leading by one, both teams would exchange sloppy turnovers before a Jakob Poeltl layup gave the Spurs the one-point edge with  1:15 left.

After another empty Thunder possession, the Spurs ran up the court and Keldon Johnson received the ball as he was running full speed to the basket and tried posterizing Pokusevski. Tried to at least. The timing of the dunk and where he took off from considering the game situation was a bit of a questionable decision that came to bite Johnson back immediately. Instead of giving the Spurs a three-point lead with arguably the poster of the season, Pokusevski contested the shot enough to force a miss.

The Thunder and Spurs would then exchange missed three-pointers, which included a really bad one by Gilgeous-Alexander, who was otherwise great this game, that felt a little forced and perhaps was his attempt to get a two-for-one.

Nonetheless, the Spurs would miss one more shot before Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the defensive board and slung the ball across half court to a streaking Pokusevski for an easy layup in transition that gave the Thunder a one-point lead with 4.8 seconds left. The pass totally redeemed Gilgeous-Alexander’s bad missed rush three from a couple of possessions ago and a Pokusevski game winner would have encapsulated the run he’s been on since the beginning of February.

But alas, there were still 4.8 seconds left and that was enough time for Lonnie Walker IV to make a difficult three-point game-winning basket to give the Spurs the win to end this one out. The Thunder had less then two seconds to generate offense and that was just enough time for Gilgeous-Alexander to throw a prayer up that wasn’t answered.

Even with the heartbreaking loss, the wild finish of this game made it really entertaining and a fun watch. The Thunder came up short but considering how poorly they’ve played recently, losing six in a row and all by at least seven points, this close, nail-biting loss was a breathe of fresh air. Let’s take a look at player grades.

Rookie guard Josh Christopher scores career-high 23 points as Rockets lose to Spurs

Rookie guard Josh Christopher scored a career-high 23 points off the bench while filling in for Kevin Porter Jr. (chest congestion), but it wasn’t nearly enough to win in San Antonio.

Rookie guard Josh Christopher scored a career-high 23 points off the bench for Houston while largely filling in for Kevin Porter Jr., but it wasn’t nearly enough to win in Friday night’s 131-106 blowout loss (box score) at San Antonio. Led by 28 points from Keldon Johnson, the Spurs improved to 20-34 with the victory, while the young and rebuilding Rockets fell to 15-37 and remain at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Christopher hit 7-of-13 shots overall (53.8%) and 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%), and he also had 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in his 29 minutes. Christopher’s minutes were increased due to Porter leaving after only 11 minutes, with the team citing chest congestion as the reason. Porter had missed a game due to illness one week earlier.

Fellow rookie Alperen Sengun had 18 points and a career-high 3 blocks off the bench, but more veteran members of the rotation did not match that level of intensity. In postgame comments, head coach Stephen Silas criticized the team’s defensive mindset and lack of physicality.

Houston returns to action on Sunday at home versus New Orleans. Until then, scroll on for postgame reaction and highlights from Friday.

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Team USA adds JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson as replacements

JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson will replace Kevin Love and Bradley Beal on Team USA.

It didn’t even take 24 hours for Team USA to replace Kevin Love following the announcement of his withdrawal. His former Cavaliers teammate – three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee – will fill one of two vacancies that opened up on Team USA this week.

It will be up to McGee to provide a presence in the interior. Love was able to bring floor spacing for the United States, but McGee will not. However, he does bring something that the team was lacking before his arrival: Interior defense.

The Denver Nuggets veteran is an elite shot blocker and can alter shots at the rim with ease. Although Bam Adebayo and Draymond Green can defend well, they don’t bother opposing offenses the way McGee can. The 33-year-old can also screen and roll well off the pick and roll. This part of his game shined when he won his two rings with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Not to mention recently too with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

McGee will also reunite with his former Golden State teammate Kevin Durant. The Nets forward already has great chemistry with the Nuggets big man. What they will be able to create together at the Olympics along with the rest of the team will be special.

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson will also be joining Team USA, as Bradley Beal was forced to leave the team after entering the health and safety protocol.

Johnson has already participated in the three exhibition games Team USA played. He’s a gifted three-point shooter and he can finish well at the rim. Although he is young, he shows a lot of promise and there’s no doubt he will elevate his game in Tokyo.

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Lakers vs. Spurs: Live stream, how to watch, TV channel

The Los Angeles Lakers start their first road trip of the season with the first of two games against the San Antonio Spurs.

LeBron James turned 36 today and he gets to play another game of NBA basketball to celebrate. Tonight he and the Los Angeles Lakers are in San Antonio where they will play the first of two games against the Spurs on what will be a four-game road trip, including another two-game set against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers have started the season 2-2 and they are looking to send the Spurs to the same record. San Antonio opened the season with wins over Memphis and Toronto before dropping their most recent game against the New Orleans Pelicans by a mere three points. While stalwarts DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are still carrying the load, the Spurs also have a lot of young talent surrounding the two veterans, under the direction of legendary head coach Gregg Popovich.

Alex Caruso did not make the trip with the Lakers to San Antonio, with the Lakers citing the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

  • Date: Wednesday Dec. 28
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBA League Pass, Spectrum SportsNet, Fox Sports Southwest

Probable starting lineups

Spurs (2-1)

  • Lonnie Walker
  • Keldon Johnson
  • LaMarcus Aldridge
  • DeMar DeRozan
  • C.J. McCollum
  • Dejounte Murray

Lakers (2-2)

  • Anthony Davis
  • LeBron James
  • Marc Gasol
  • Dennis Schroder
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

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J.J. Redick trash-talked Spurs’ Keldon Johnson in final bubble game

Redick scored 31 points during his final game in the bubble and let Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson know about it.

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J.J. Redick and the New Orleans Pelicans failed to qualify for the playoffs this season, snapping a personal 13-year streak, but the 14-year NBA veteran wrapped up his stay at the Walt Disney World Resort on a high note despite losing to the San Antonio Spurs.

Redick drained eight 3-pointers and tied a season-high with 31 points during the 122-113 loss on Aug. 9 as the Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention. After catching fire from beyond the arc, Redick was certainly in the zone and even started trash-talking Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson in the process.

During one play in the fourth quarter, Redick revealed to Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan on his podcast that he started trash-talking Johnson when he was speaking with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich on the sideline. Redick yelled over and let them know Johnson couldn’t guard him.

Redick: Last game in the bubble that I played in was against you guys. I hit eight 3s and had 31 and there was a moment toward the end of the game where I think it was Keldon Johnson, he was getting some instruction from Pop and I turned to Pop and I was like, ‘I’m going right, Pop. He can’t stop me!’ I went right every time. I hit one 3 going left and I was like, ‘I’m going right. I’m going right!’

DeRozan: We told him and I love him to death, he is one of my favorite rookies I’ve ever played with and we kept telling him the whole time. He always wants to take on the challenges, too, that’s why I love him.

The stats back up Redick, too.

According to NBA tracking data, Redick scored 12 points and shot 4-of-7 from the field when Johnson was his primary defender in that game. Johnson was matched up on Redick for over five minutes of game time as Redick went 2-of-3 from 3-point range.

Redick went on to say that he believes Johnson is going to be a good player for the Spurs after a strong showing in the bubble. Johnson averaged 14.1 points and five rebounds in eight seeding games while he finished by scoring 24 points in each of his last two games.

After playing sparingly for most of the season, Johnson showed off his potential in the bubble and appears to have a bright future ahead. He just may need to listen to his teammates the next time that he finds himself matched up on Redick…

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Keldon Johnson tied career-high in Spurs’ season finale vs. Jazz

Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson finished off his stay at the Wide World of Sports Complex with back-to-back 24-point performances.

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San Antonio Spurs guard Keldon Johnson may not have played much to begin his rookie season but he certainly finished it on a high note after his performance on Thursday night.

Johnson tied a career-high, which he just set on Tuesday, with 24 points to lead the Spurs in a 118-112 loss to the Utah Jazz. Johnson finished by shooting 8-of-12 from the field while he went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in 30 minutes of work.

The Spurs were eliminated from playoff contention just prior to the matchup, which gave Johnson the opportunity to start. The elimination on Thursday snapped a 22-year playoff streak in which the organization won five NBA championships.

Although the Spurs were eliminated from contention, the group played up until the final seconds. Johnson scored eight points in the final minute and a half of the fourth quarter and still kept working to get the Spurs within striking distance.

Johnson entered the season restart with just nine appearances this season but came in with the mentality to just play basketball and help his team win. He averaged 14.1 points, five rebounds and 1.1 assists during the restart at the Wide World of Sports Complex.

“I just came in and played basketball,” Johnson said. “I play to win; [I have] a winner’s mentality. I gotta do whatever it takes for my team to win. Just be aggressive, make the right plays, and play my game.”

The Spurs viewed the season restart as an opportunity to develop the younger players on the team and Johnson certainly took advantage. The future appears to be bright for the Spurs and Johnson figures to be a big part of that core moving forward.

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Keldon Johnson set a new career-high during Spurs’ loss to Nuggets

For the second time in as many games, Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson set a new career-high during a loss to the Nuggets.

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For the second time in as many games, San Antonio Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson on Wednesday set a new career-high with 20 points during a 132-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Johnson erupted for 13 of his 20 total points in the fourth quarter as he went a perfect 6-of-6 from the field to keep the Spurs around for the first few minutes of the period. He finished the game by shooting 7-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range.

Johnson stayed aggressive throughout the game and made a number of tough finishes at the rim. Perhaps most important, he looked confident on the floor and didn’t hesitate to drive to the basket and force contact.

After logging just nine appearances prior to the season shut down, Johnson has taken full advantage of his opportunity during the restart and is beginning to look like a first-round pick.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has used the restart as a chance to develop some of the younger players and Johnson has certainly produced in his role after setting a previous career-high with 15 points on Monday.

With the loss, the Spurs are still very much alive in the playoff race in the Western Conference but will face a tough road with six teams all within 3.5 games of each other.

The Spurs play next on Friday vs. the Utah Jazz.

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Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson scored a career-high in loss vs. 76ers

Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson continued his strong play in the season restart during a 132-130 loss to the 76ers.

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San Antonio Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson continued his strong play during the season restart after he scored a career-high 15 points during a 132-130 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Johnson finished by shooting 4-of-6 from the field, while he drained his lone 3-point attempt of the game. He added three rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes off of the bench as eight of his points came in the third quarter alone with the Spurs trailing.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich previously described the way his rookie plays as energetic and aggressive and that was once again the case on Monday. Johnson didn’t play much prior to the season shut down but has given the Spurs an added boost off the bench in the restart.

The performance on Monday followed a couple of key outings for Johnson. He brought energy and defense to the game on Sunday during a win over the Memphis Grizzlies while he had a key assist late to seal the win on Friday over the Sacramento Kings.

Johnson has proved that he can be trusted on the floor at the Wide World of Sports Complex and that should only continue over the Spurs’ final five seeding games.

The Spurs play next on Wednesday vs. the Denver Nuggets.

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Keldon Johnson brought the defense, energy in Spurs’ win vs. Grizzlies

Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson turned in another productive outing on Sunday during a 108-106 victory over the Grizzlies.

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San Antonio Spurs rookie Keldon Johnson turned in another productive outing in the season restart on Sunday during a 108-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Johnson recorded nine points and six rebounds in 25 minutes of work off of the bench. He shot 4-of-6 from the field, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range, and added a couple of key plays for the Spurs in the second half of action against the Grizzlies.

On one sequence in the third quarter, Johnson picked off of a pass from Ja Morant in acrobatic fashion, tip-toeing the sideline. A few seconds later, Johnson was there to clean up a miss by Rudy Gay and celebrated accordingly.

The nine-point, six-rebound performance by Johnson followed a solid game on Friday in which he recorded eight points and six rebounds. He had a key assist late in that game that helped seal the win for the Spurs over the Sacramento Kings.

Johnson hadn’t logged much time in the NBA this season prior to the restart but has played a key role off of the bench for head coach Gregg Popovich. The rookie won’t be counted on to lead the team in scoring but his ability to make plays has proven to be valuable in the early going.

With the win, the Spurs moved into ninth place, just two games behind the Grizzlies. The two teams would each participate in a play-in tournament for the eighth seed in the Western Conference if that result should hold following the eight seeding games.

The Spurs play next on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

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