Georges Niang #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers tries to steal the ball from Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Frost Bank Center on February 3, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Ronald Cortes / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Spurs lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 117 to 101 on Saturday night. Devin Vassell led the team with 22 points. Victor Wembanyama added 19 points. The Spurs are now 10 and 40 on the season. The Spurs are back in action on Wednesday night against the Heat in Miami.
SPURS POSTGAME QUOTES:
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich:
(On the difficulties against Cleveland...)
"Their length and physicality pose a big problem and so does their talent. We didn't have as much juice as last night, obviously. That's three in four nights, three weekends in a row and it started to show. I think they're trying hard but couldn't make a shot in the first half, came back and played better in the second half. Get a little rest and move on."
(On how Victor Wembanyama is handling the number of games...)
"I think he just finished playing more games than all of last year in half the time. That's telling you something. So, he's handled it pretty well."
Spurs Forward Keldon Johnson
(On how the team was feeling after playing seven games in 11 days…)
“I think we fought through it, and we continue to grow as a team, continue to stick together and have each other's back. This is definitely like character building for us. It's never going to be easy, and on nights like this when you don't have the energy. I find a way to get it done. We are learning and growing, and we're going to continue to find a way to get it done.”
(On advice he could give to his teammates about the road trip…)
“Take care of your bodies. I have no worries about this group. We're pretty close. So, I feel like we'll probably be doing everything together while we're on the road and enjoying each other and things like that. So, I have no worries. I think we all have each other's backs. Whether it's playing a video game or going to get team dinner and things like that. I think that we will make it fly by pretty quickly.”
Spurs Forward Victor Wembanyama
(On seven games in 11 days…)
"I'm glad my body's healthy, even though it's hard. I'm glad it's not giving me any red flags. It is hard, and of course, I would like my conditioning to be perfect, but you got to pick your battle. At this point in my career, we also want my muscle to be maintained more than my legs to be fresh."
(On road life with the Rodeo Road Trip coming up...)
"It's like a different rhythm. Its's not necessarily harder, but you have to focus on different things. You're not home, you're in your hotel room waiting to go to a game. On gameday, you have to focus only on the [game]. Everything, the hotel has done for you, the food is ready, your clothes are dropped in front of your door. You just got to grab them. There's practice, you get back and you can nap. It's really a different schedule from here. You can focus more on basic things. It's different, and the road life you see so many cities. It's a learning experience every time."