The San Antonio Spurs visited the Kaseya Center in Miami for their fourth preseason contest and lost 117-120. The game had seven lead changes and ten ties. The sloppy turnovers were enough to negate their shooting accuracy inside the arc in the first half. But after the break, the Spurs were much more cautious and went into the fourth quarter with a two-point lead.

The experienced presence and influence of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes on the pitch added impetus to the action. The Spurs outscored the Heat in the lane by 16, produced three additional points on the counterattack and outscored the hosts by 16 points. Jeremy Sochan’s 18 points on nine of 13 attempts, Keldon Johnson’s 15 points on 60 percent of attempts and Paul led the way in scoring with 13 points and a 71.4 percent shooting percentage.

Devin Vassell was out of the Silver and Black with a right foot injury.

Observations

• The Heat took advantage of the team’s poor passing game, recovering four steals in the first three minutes and ending the first frame by forcing nine turnovers on the Spurs. At the final buzzer there were a total of 21 visitors.
• Victor Wembanyama was ineffective as a goalscorer as Bam Adebayo scrutinized him. Nevertheless, he scored with a transition pull-up three-pointer and several open plays from close range. His shots with the ball into the paint also exposed the scope and opportunity for failed friendlies. Wembanyama was not used in the second half; Collins started for him.
• At the start, Paul and Wemby were the main organizers and carried out some two-man actions on the sidelines. Nevertheless, the unit was more accurate than the hosts and shot 6.5 percentage points more in the first quarter, but trailed 21:27.
• The Spurs offense continued to perform well afterward, making 13 of 20 field goals but committing six more giveaways. At halftime, the Silver and Black trailed 49-59. In the second half, the team made 22 of 40 attempts to almost secure the win.
• On defense, Wembanyama lost his mind when he bit on a pump fake from Bam Adebayo in the corner in the first minute of the game, and a few later Tyler Herro caught him too. But Wemby also had nice moments – he stopped Nikola Jovic in transition with a strip and set up a lob for Jeremy Sochan in the same move; pressuring a pick-and-roll that helped force Duncan Robinson into a turnover; and denying Robinson’s ride on an assist block.
• Aside from Wembanyama attacking three fakes that he needs to correct, his pressure on the ball appears to be greater than his rookie year.
• Sochan promptly defended Jović on several unsuccessful jumps. He (28), Harrison Barnes (27) and Paul (25) also led the team in minutes logged.
• Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins were the first reserve players. Johnson made five of seven baskets in the first half and then one of three in the second. Collins foolishly fouled Terry Rozier on a two-point shot and the first half was uneventful. Collins was more active scoring in the second half.
• Stephon Castle shot one of five balls from the field and lost possession twice, but was active in defense in his 21 minutes.
• The Spurs allowed 14 of 45 three-point shots but made 63 percent of two-point shots.

The Spurs’ final preseason game is Thursday in Houston against the Rockets.