Jakob Poeltl shines as the Spurs fall to the Suns

The fourth quarter doomed the Spurs just like playoff time usually dooms the Cowboys (as a Dallas fan, I reserve the right to wallow, especially when two of my favorite teams are struggling). But on this night, Jakob Poeltl did his best to keep the good guys in the game. The Spurs big man had a team-high 23 points with 14 rebounds and 2 blocks. Dejounte Murray contributed 18 points with 8 rebounds.

If you haven’t had the chance yet, check out the Spurs’ tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. narrated by Spurs legend Sean Elliott:

We should start with the last highlight before that dreaded fourth quarter when the wheels came off: Devin Vassell nailed the buzzer-beater at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Jakob Poeltl is showing off his pick-and-roll game with this finish off of a Derrick White dish. Monday night was Poeltl’s third time this season to eclipse the 20-point mark.

Derrick White did not hesitate as he threw this pretty, pretty lob to a waiting Jakob Poeltl underneath the basket. White had 7 assists, which was also good for the team-high in assists. White has cooled off a bit in the last three games with regard to dishing dimes. Hopefully tonight’s performance is a sign of White getting more involved in setting up his teammates for easy shots.

Nice drive here by Lonnie Walker IV who double clutches in mid-air before dipping the ball through the net.

Dejounte Murray deftly drew the foul off of a turnaround jumper for an and-1. It’s a federal holiday, but let’s keep the bank open.

Finally, to wash out this loss, let’s cleanse the palette with something beautiful that came out of this game: Jakob Poeltl doing his best Hakeem Olajuwon Dream Shake move. Beautiful, just beautiful.

And last but never least, the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs stay put and take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.