Dejounte Murray recorded a double-double, Jakob Poeltl finished a rebound shy of his fifth double-double in six games and Keldon Johnson added 16 points as the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 134-104 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday at Toyota Center.
Murray paired 19 points with 10 assists while Poeltl chipped in 18 points and nine boards. That tandem combined to shoot 17 of 28 to spearhead a breathtaking offense; San Antonio shot 57.4 percent while recording 38 assists on 58 field goals.
Doug McDermott scored 15 points while Drew Eubanks posted 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Spurs, who seized control with a 21-4 blitz that concluded the first quarter.
That 34-23 opening period set the tone for the Spurs’ unselfish offense, with San Antonio assisting on 12 of its 13 field goals.
Kevin Porter Jr. had 16 points, nine assists and five rebounds for the Rockets, who suffered their ninth consecutive home loss. Christian Wood tallied 15 points and seven rebounds while Jae’Sean Tate totaled 14 points and six rebounds as part of an ineffective starting unit.
The Rockets fashioned a competitive start defensively and claimed a 19-13 lead on Porter’s stepback jumper at the 4:47 mark of the first. But the Spurs took off from there — with Murray, Johnson and McDermott all drilling 3-pointers down the stretch of the opening frame.
While San Antonio closed the period with a 14-0 run initiated by Poeltl’s layup, the Rockets shot 0-for-3 and committed three consecutive turnovers to conclude the quarter. Poeltl ended that stretch with another layup as the Spurs carried a 34-23 lead into the second period.
The Rockets were within 15 points at the break before the Spurs broke it open in the third quarter. They led 81-60 after Eubanks’ hook shot at the 7:06 mark.
The Spurs scored seven fast-break points in the third while extending their lead to 33.
–Field Level Media