Harrison Barnes scored 24 points, while Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama each added 22 to guide the San Antonio Spurs past the Houston Rockets 121-110 Friday night at Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio pulled away late, with Barnes scoring the final four points on free throws and a breakaway dunk after a steal with 12 seconds remaining. Champagnie added nine points in the fourth quarter, hitting 3-pointers and securing key rebounds to help close out the win.
The Spurs overcame early defensive pressure on Wembanyama from Houston guards Josh Okogie and Reed Sheppard, who repeatedly pushed him off position in the first half. Wembanyama had four points on 2-for-6 shooting in the opening two quarters.
San Antonio closed the first half on a 12-0 run fueled by five Houston turnovers in the final two minutes, including a three-point play by Stephon Castle and a 3-pointer from Devin Vassell. Kevin Durant picked up his third personal foul during the stretch after shoving Barnes to the floor.
The Rockets were led by Durant, who scored 24 points, and Alperen Sengun, who added 22, but Houston’s five-game winning streak ended as they fell to 5-3. Jabari Smith Jr. contributed 12 points, and Josh Okogie had 14.
San Antonio shot 46% from the field, including 40% from three-point range, while Houston struggled to keep pace with 45.9% shooting overall and 48.1% from beyond the arc. The Spurs also held a 40-30 edge on the boards.
Both teams play in West Group C of the NBA Cup alongside Portland, Denver, and Golden State. San Antonio improves to 6-2 and will host New Orleans on Saturday, while Houston travels to Milwaukee on Sunday.
