The Spurs came up short against the Pelicans on Friday night, losing 117 to 99 at the AT&T Center. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 30 points. Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 25 points. The Spurs are back in action on Sunday afternoon against the Suns.
Post Game Reaction:
Spurs Assistant Coach Brett Brown
(On what was seen tonight…)
“For the most part, I thought their spirit was great. I thought we executed a game plan, having played them with a level of purpose. It’s like most NBA games, especially when you have a young team, there’s a defining moment when the game changes and now you’re playing catch-up. You look at the last few minutes of that third period, I think we had five turnovers and went from a five-point game to a 10-point game, and they’re that good, they’re that physical where you put yourself in a hole, one you wish you weren’t in.”
(On maintaining their spirits after 10 losses in a row…)
“I mean, look at the life I’ve lived. I’ve lived a life where I can, I hope, give a credible answer. There is always a slippery slope where you have to demand - they love being coached by [Coach Popovich]. They like it when [Coach Popovich] bites them. You need to have that sting and that bite so they feel like they’re being coached and getting better, and [Coach Popovich] is best at that. So when do you give them love and when do you bite them? There’s no book that tells you how to do that. You figure out the pulse of the gym, that’s one thing. Two, that locker room is amazing. Those guys are high-character, young men that just want to get better, and it’s our job to do it. And to navigate your question about the locker room is always on our mind. With those two things that we spoke of, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
Spurs Guard Devin Vassell
(On how they’re maintaining their spirits during this skid…)
“Obviously, it’s frustrating, it’s tough. We’re a young group and we’re learning and growing each game, but it’s tough. As leaders of the team, me, [Keldon Johnson], and [Jakob Poeltl], some of the vets, we just have to be able to keep our heads up and keep fighting.”
(On worrying about individual numbers when the team isn’t pulling out wins…)
“I don’t really worry about that. To be honest, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t get a win. I just want everybody to understand that and to learn and grow from that too. It doesn’t matter if one person has 20 [points], it doesn’t matter if one person has 50 [points]. At the end of the game, if we’re not building good habits it just doesn’t matter. My biggest thing right now is just trying to keep everybody’s head in. I mean, it’s tough. For anybody, you lose 10 games in a row you’re not going to sit here smiling and laughing. So we’re just trying to figure it out [to] keep everybody’s head in it, and just keep growing and keep fighting.”