The Spurs, without Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones, failed to make up for their refusal to defend against the Chicago Bulls in a loss to the Kings.

In the first quarter, Chris Paul controlled the tempo and the extra effort on offense was noticeable. The Silver and Black recovered four offensive rebounds and Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson scored on all of them.

But the defense proved problematic early on and was poor at protecting the arc, burning up on four of eight three-point shots. In addition, De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis each made three field goals.

After twelve minutes the score was tied at 33 points

Then the Spurs’ defensive measures were further tested, conceding 36 points on 50 percent shooting because they were unable to stop the dribble or defend without fouling. The crime was almost as suspicious, resulting in only 38 percent of attempts.

At halftime, the Spurs trailed 69-59 on the scoreboard. The team had 24 paint points, six on the break and 15 on second chances.

Next, Spurs overreacted to dribbling movements after the break and left too many shots offside. Sabonis scored four baskets in limited play while coming off the ball. Sacramento’s Malik Monk and Fox also combined for six of 14 baskets from mid-range and below.

On offense, Castle and Harrison Barnes were the only Spurs to make multiple field goals. The rest of the team fired five of 14 shots during this period.

The fourth quarter began with the Spurs trailing by 14 points. Sochan delivered two shots on a post and rolled to the rim, but the group was never able to recover as it failed to break down Sacramento’s actions, making 14 of 20 shots in the final 12 minutes.

The Spurs lost 140-113. The team had 48 paint points, 15 on the break and 19 on second chances.

Observations

• Castle had a lot of time guarding Fox, Sacramento’s best player. Even when he was in the right position, his counterpart scored from both short and long distances. Additionally, Fox used a lot of screens to shut him down. On one play, Castle intercepted a pass, triggering a quick Spurs counterattack in which Julian Champagnie scored. He was able to direct the offense when Paul was sitting and did a good job of getting the right results after beating his defender off the dribble. But he wasn’t a good finisher and missed three shots in the lane. His two best sequences of the night were a defensive rebound, going coast-to-coast for a layup and connecting with Sochan for a lob through contact in the third quarter.
• Zach Collins’ insolence got him kicked out. At first he complained about committing his third foul against Sabonis at the rim. He then barked the F-word at one of the officials on his way to the sideline. He should know better. Role players can’t talk like that and his team needed him at the forefront without Wemby.
• Charles Bassey threw his weight back and forth, defending the attack and registering several blocks, including one that set off a fastbreak score from Johnson. He and Sandro Mamukelashvili played longer than expected because of Collins’ expulsion. Still, they weren’t enough to stop Sabonis, who looked like he was up against lightweights.
• The defense in the second quarter was so poor that the Kings were able to convert nine of 16 baskets, and so many fouls were committed that they were punished by 14 free throws from the opponent. The Kings only made 22 of 24 free throws in this game.
• Jeremy Sochan didn’t continue his double-double streak, finishing the game with 14 points on five of 10 shooting, with five rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. However, he managed to defend the ball well and had to cover Fox after the break.
• San Antonio’s bench was dominant in the first half, outscoring Sacramento’s 29-16. Johnson was the leading reserve, posting double-digit earnings in the first quarter. He scored by attacking the basket on the break and in the half court. In the second half, the Spurs bench topped by eight points.
• The Kings’ speed off the dribble was one of the key components that exposed the 3-point line. Spurs need to play better one-on-one defense and attack in a timely manner after the opponent’s pass.