Game 27: Wemby, Spurs get first overtime win of season in victory over Hawks

(1) Wemby's 42 point night (2) Devin Vassell starting again (3) Jeremy Sochan's versatility (4) Chris Paul down the stretch (5) Spurs as favorites

Photo credit: Spurs.com

It took 27 games, but for the first time this season, the San Antonio Spurs had their entire lineup healthy and available in the same game. The Spurs faced their 3rd Eastern Conference opponent of the season in the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

48 minutes wasn’t enough to determine a winner between the Spurs and Hawks. On the final possession in the 4th, a missed Trae Young jumper contested well by Victor Wembanyama sent the Spurs to their first overtime game of the season.

The Hawks entered overtime 1-0 this season, but it was the young Spurs, led by Wemby and veteran Chris Paul, who helped San Antonio outscore Atlanta by 7 in the extra five minutes to win the game 133-126.

“I thought we fought,” said Spurs Acting Head Coach Mitch Johnson after the game. “I thought the energy was great. I thought lowlights or the rough patches, was more decision based, not effort based, and we can live with some of that stuff. We had some new combinations and new lineups out there tonight and that can be unique when you’re almost a third of the way through the season. So we had to exhibit some patience and I thought our effort carried us through some of those stretches.”

With the win, the Spurs improved to 14-13 overall (11th out West), 10-7 at home, 2-1 against the Eastern Conference, and 8-3 in crunch time. They remain 2nd in the NBA in crunch time winning percentage after the win. The Spurs also improved to 13-3 when leading by double digits and 7-12 when trailing by double digits.

“We have a really good team, and I just hope we understand that we can be really good,” said Chris Paul of the Spurs now that they have their full squad healthy. “We don’t have to wait until next year or the year after. We need to be trying to win right now.”

Here are the items that’ll be covered in this postgame edition:

• Wemby’s 42 point night

• Devin Vassell back as a starter

• Jeremy Sochan’s versatility

• Chris Paul in crunch time and overtime

• The Spurs as favorites in games

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Wemby’s 42 point night

Wemby finished with his 2nd highest scoring game of the season and of his career, finishing with 42 points on 24 shot attempts. He now has 3 games in his young career with 40 or more points.

Wemby scored from all four areas for his 42 points throughout the game.

• 21 of Wemby’s points came off his 7 made triples. He made his first 3 threes in the opening quarter, including a rare corner make. He also used a pull-up three to make a three while being fouled by De’Andre Hunter on a possession. After the first, he had 14 points. He got one three to fall in the second, and after he went scoreless in the third, he got a step-back three to go in over Clint Capela in the fourth. He had several good looks in crunch time, but none of those three balls went down. In overtime though, his outside shot returned, after he drilled his final two threes in overtime.

• Wemby also finished with 10 paint points in the win. He got to the paint a few times on drives, dives out of the pick-and-roll, and in the fourth, he was able to post several Hawks defenders near the center of the free throw line and finish paint looks over them. He had an epic play in the fourth, when it looked like he had nowhere to go on a possession. What did he do? He threw the ball at the side of the backboard, caught it in mid-air and he had a putback dunk.