The San Antonio Spurs are officially a juggernaut on a mission.
Extending their scorching winning streak to 11 consecutive games, the defending Western Conference champions ruthlessly dismantled a reeling Golden State Warriors squad 123-85 on Friday night to remain unbeaten in NBA Cup action.
Without superstar point guard Stephen Curry—who is sidelined for at least two weeks after suffering a right oblique tear against Houston on Wednesday—Golden State collapsed completely from the opening tip, suffering one of the most lopsided defeats in recent franchise history.
”38-14 Opening Blitz”: Golden State Suffers Historic First-Half Collapse
San Antonio smelled blood immediately, locking down the Warriors’ perimeter attack and triggering an avalanche of transition offense that turned the contest into a blowout before halftime:
- First-Quarter Nightmare: Golden State shot an ice-cold 5-for-25 from the floor in the opening period as San Antonio raced out to a commanding 38-14 lead—marking both a season-low quarter for the Warriors and the fewest points allowed in any quarter by the Spurs this season.
- Eight-Year Defensive Milestone: By halftime, San Antonio held a staggering 63-33 advantage, holding an opponent to their fewest first-half points since the Phoenix Suns scored just 31 back on February 7, 2018.
- Fourth-Quarter Rest: After ballooning the lead to an astonishing 43 points in the third quarter, San Antonio comfortably rested Victor Wembanyama and their core starters for the entire fourth period.
Stephon Castle Steals the Show as Draymond Green Draws Flagrant Foul
While Victor Wembanyama cruised to his 121st career double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) in just 21 effortless minutes, guard Stephon Castle delivered an explosive offensive masterpiece:
- Season-High 32 Points: Castle torched Golden State’s perimeter defense, shooting a blistering 12-for-18 from the field and 5-for-8 from three-point territory. He shattered his previous season-best of 24 points with a highlight-reel alley-oop slam off a crafty finger-roll feed from Wembanyama.
- Draymond Green Controversy: Frustrations boiled over midway through the second quarter when Warriors forward Draymond Green was slapped with a Flagrant Foul 1 for delivering a running forearm shove from behind that sent Wembanyama crashing out of bounds. Green exited shortly afterward and did not return, finishing with just four points in 16 minutes.
- Warriors Depth Exposed: Without Curry’s gravity, Golden State’s offense flatlined, with only L.J. Cryer (20 points) and Charles Bassey (11 points) reaching double figures.
High-Stakes Road Tests Ahead
As the Warriors limp into New Orleans on Monday desperate to stop the bleeding without their two-time MVP, the unstoppable Spurs head to Utah on Sunday aiming to push their red-hot winning streak to an even dozen.
