The finish had a twist. On the possession before, Wembanyama banked in a long 3-pointer that would have changed the game, but it did not count. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had called timeout with 5 seconds left before Wembanyama let it go, according to the Associated Press. San Antonio got the ball back, and the 6-foot-7 Thompson met the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama in the lane.
Alperen Sengun led Houston with 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and he scored eight straight Rockets points in the fourth quarter. Thompson finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks on 9-of-15 shooting. Durant had 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 5-of-10 shooting, and his 3-pointer with 1:34 left was one of the biggest shots of the night. Durant was the national college player of the year at Texas in 2006-07, and he had plenty of fans in a building that was technically a Spurs home game. VanVleet added 14 points and three steals, and Tari Eason scored 12 off the bench.
Wembanyama bounced back from his 1-for-13 opener with 25 points and 13 rebounds, though he shot 9 for 21. Dylan Harper scored 20, including a driving dunk that cut Houston's lead to two with 46 seconds left. De'Aaron Fox had 19 points and nine assists, and Stephon Castle added 15 points and seven rebounds.
