The San Antonio Spurs played their final preseason game without key contributors like Victor Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan and Chris Paul. In contrast, the Houston Rockets went full rotation in their final preseason game. The Rockets were red-hot from deep and made quick work of the shot-proof Spurs, 129-107.

Houston shot 34.9% from deep (a number that dropped sharply in garbage time) and hit 15 three-pointers. San Antonio’s defense couldn’t keep up with the Rockets’ aggressive pace, ball movement and shooting. Neither could their offense. The Spurs shot just 43.2% from the field and 26.5% from deep. They were dominated inside by Alperen Sengun, who posted a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen Green led all scorers with 30 points and shot 7-13 from three-point range.

The Spurs were led by their rookie Stephon Castle, who had 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in the loss. It was the most he had the ball in his hands all preseason, as he shot 6-for-14 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free throw line. He continued to attack the rim aggressively and mixed in some sweet-looking mid-range jumpers.

The Spurs have a week to prepare for their opening game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 24th.

Observations

• The Spurs really struggled to score at the rim against Houston. Zach Collins, Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham all missed multiple wide-open layups. The missed opportunities piling up in Houston wiped out three after three. The Spurs were outscored 62-58.
• Houston dominated the glass and beat the Spurs 55-38. They were aggressive on offense and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. The strength and athleticism of these young Rockets were on full display. The fightback would probably have been closer if Wembanyama and Sochan had played.
• Sandro Mamukelashvili continues to make the most of his minutes. Regardless of whether he plays the four or the five, the offense simply looks better with him. The question is: does it make up for its defensive deficiencies? He finished the last preseason game with 9 points and 2 assists. He averaged 9.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in the preseason. We’ll see if it’s enough to secure a spot in the rotation next week.
• Charles Bassey is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for ten months. He had a solid performance in his second preseason game. The big man had 10 points and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes. He particularly made an impression as a rebounder and lob threat in the fourth quarter.
• Sidy Cissoko had his best game of the preseason, finishing the game with 15 points and 4 rebounds. He was a force in transition and as a cutter and finished with some aggressive dunks. He hit a catch-and-shoot three-pointer that featured a jumper that looked smoother than last year.
• Collins led the Spurs with six assists tonight. He’s so good at making plays for others in the high post. He hit Malaki Branham several times on backdoor cuts for easy balls. His passing ability should elevate the level of the Spurs’ second unit this year.
• For all the talk of Riley Minix getting the Spurs’ final two-way contract spot, he was one of the few active players who didn’t log any minutes in the loss.