The San Antonio Spurs looked every bit like a contender Monday night, and Stephon Castle made sure Detroit felt it from the opening tip.
After the Spurs’ 114-103 win over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena, Castle’s postgame comments revealed the defensive mindset that fueled San Antonio’s ninth straight victory.
“Yeah, just trying to make it tough for him. Just keep a body on him at all times. Trying not to let him move around the court freely,” Castle said about guarding Cade Cunningham.
Castle’s primary assignment was Cunningham, and the numbers told the story. Cunningham finished with 16 points on 5-of-26 shooting, missing 21 attempts in one of his toughest outings of the season.
“And then, yeah,” Castle continued. “Just having everybody in help for me. Vic obviously at the rim. So just trying to make him shoot as many tough shots as possible.”
That help defense starts with Victor Wembanyama, who posted 21 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks despite what Castle called “a tough shooting night.”
“It was a tough shooting night for him. But on the defensive end, the rebounds, the blocks. He had a really good game,” the guard said about the French center.
Castle emphasized Wembanyama’s constant presence.
“Yeah, Vic is going to impact the game no matter what. Whether he is scoring or not scoring. He is going to impact the game with just his presence. Even being in the paint while the other team is driving. It is special to see and play with.”
“He is the head of the snake,” Castle said. “And even if he is having a bad game, you can tell it on his facial expression. Yeah, I feel like he has just been a great leader for us.”
The game briefly boiled over in the second quarter when Cunningham extended his arms and knocked Castle to the floor, sparking technical fouls after a review.
“We are not going to back down from any moment like that,” Castle said. “So that happened early in the game. I feel like that sparked energy for our guys as well.”
On one key fourth-quarter possession, Castle blocked Cunningham on the block.
“I mean, just not trying to go for any pump fakes,” he explained. “Knowing I had Vic behind me. So just trying to stay on the ground as much as possible.”
Castle also credited Devin Vassell, who scored 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 7-of-11 from three.
“Yeah. Guarded the ball well. Communicated well,” Castle said. “But his scoring, I feel like he kind of willed us to win tonight.”
“Coach said it best,” he added. “He has been putting his energy in the right places. So he was bound to have another night like this.”
At 40-16, the Spurs now trail only the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference, while the East-leading Pistons fell to 42-13.
