Wembanyama, Sochan help Spurs fend out hard-charging Rockets to win home opener, 109-106

Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points, Jeremy Sochan added 17 points and 12 rebounds, and nan San Antonio Spurs held connected to hit nan Houston Rockets 109-106 connected Saturday nighttime successful their location opener

SAN ANTONIO -- Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points, Jeremy Sochan added 17 points and 12 rebounds, and nan San Antonio Spurs held connected to hit nan Houston Rockets 109-106 connected Saturday nighttime successful their location opener.

Wembanyama added 7 rebounds and 3 blocks while shooting 10 for 17 from nan field.

Chris Paul added 3 points and 9 assists, including a thrust and provender to Sochan for an unfastened layup that put San Antonio up 104-99 pinch 1:35 remaining.

After trailing by 22 points successful nan first half, Houston was wrong 1 possession for overmuch of nan last minutes. The Rockets went connected a 21-8 tally successful nan opening six minutes of nan last quarter, turning an 18-point shortage into a 95-90 lead for San Antonio.

Jalen Green had 27 points for Houston. Fred VanVleet added 18 and Dillon Brooks had 16.

Rockets: Houston wasted a bully decorativeness pinch a mediocre start. After shooting 34% done 3 quarters, including 17% successful nan 2nd period, nan Rockets changeable 60% successful nan last quarter.

Spurs: San Antonio went 2 for 13 connected 3-pointers aft opening nan crippled 6 for 7.

After struggling mightily astatine times past play to get nan shot into Wembanyama’s hands astir nan rim, a brace of passes from Paul yielded overmuch committedness and thunderous celebrations. Paul’s first lob resulted successful an alley-oop dunk for Wembanyama pinch 2:12 remaining successful nan first half that put nan Spurs up 57-38. Paul and Wembanyama repeated nan alley-oop dunk a infinitesimal later, giving nan Spurs a 59-38 advantage.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has stressed nan request for his squad to beryllium much beingness and nan Spurs responded, outrebounding Houston 57-46.

The Rockets look nan Spurs again connected Monday to adjacent retired a two-game group successful San Antonio.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba