San Antonio Spurs (49-19) beat Charlotte Hornets (34-34) 115-102 at home on Saturday, March 14, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Spurs had the better start, winning the first 31-24 to lead by 7 after one. The Spurs kept the pressure on with a 28-22 second quarter, carrying a 13-point lead into halftime.
The Hornets won the third 37-32 to stay in front, taking a 8-point lead into the fourth. The Spurs took the fourth 24-19; the Spurs finished the job for a 115-102 regulation win.
What decided it
The Spurs grabbed 34.9% of their own misses, while the Hornets recovered 22%. The Spurs got more from their shots, finishing at 52.7% effective field-goal shooting compared with 47.3% for the Hornets. The second chances kept adding up.
The Hornets did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 9.1 against 11.3. The Spurs made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 98 possessions per team, the Spurs produced 117.5 points per 100 possessions to 104.2 for the Hornets.
The Spurs' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 33-19.
Who made the difference
Victor Wembanyama was the game's biggest individual force for SAS: 32 pts, 12 reb, 8 ast, 4 blk on 13-24 shooting. His Game Score of 31.6 led everyone. His team was +6 with him on the floor.
Kon Knueppel led the Hornets with 20 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast on 6-14 shooting, good for a 16.9 Game Score.
Victor Wembanyama (32 pts, 12 reb, 8 ast) and Stephon Castle (15 pts, 7 reb, 10 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Spurs about a 73% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Charlotte Hornets lead 3-0.
The Spurs are now 49-19, and the Hornets are 34-34. The Spurs last five before this game: W-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.