San Antonio Spurs (47-18) beat Houston Rockets (39-24) 145-120 at home on Sunday, March 8. The final margin was 25 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Rockets had the better start, winning the first 33-32 to lead by 1 after one. The Spurs moved in front with a 37-24 second quarter, carrying a 12-point lead into halftime.
The Spurs won the third 41-37 to create some separation, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth. The Spurs took the fourth 35-26; the Spurs finished the job for a 145-120 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Spurs got more from their shots, finishing at 69.9% effective field-goal shooting compared with 52.9% for the Rockets. The Spurs took better care of the ball, turning it over on 6.9% of possessions compared with 11.4% for the Rockets. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Rockets did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 32.2 against 25. The Spurs made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Spurs produced 140.8 points per 100 possessions to 116.5 for the Rockets.
The Spurs' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 57-24.
Who stood out
Victor Wembanyama was the game's biggest individual force for SAS: 29 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, 4 blk on 9-13 shooting. His Game Score of 31 led everyone. His team was +27 with him on the floor.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 23 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast on 8-15 shooting, good for a 21.8 Game Score.
De'Aaron Fox (20 pts, 2 reb, 10 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Spurs about a 77% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Houston Rockets lead 4-3.
The Spurs are now 47-18, and the Rockets are 39-24. The Spurs last five before this game: W-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.