SAN ANTONIO (AP) 鈥� Keldon Johnson scored 32 points and the San Antonio Spurs snapped an 11-game losing streak by beating the Houston Rockets 118-109 on Thursday night.
Johnson sparked the turnaround by making his first nine shots and his first three 3-pointers in helping San Antonio win for the first time since Nov. 11, ending the second-worst skid in team history.
鈥淭his has been the first game in a while where we were clicking defensively,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淵ou can tell when we get stops, get out and run and be able to get out front. If we can keep that mindset of defense first, get stops and we let the offense take care of itself, we鈥檒l be in great shape.鈥�
Tre Jones had a career-high 26 points and reserves Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson added 12 apiece.
Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. scored 23 points for Houston. Alperen Sengun added 16 points and 11 rebounds, with all five Rockets starters scoring in double figures.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich returned after missing the previous two games with what the team termed a 鈥渕inor medical procedure.鈥�
McDermott, Richardson, and Romeo Langford also returned, but the Spurs were without starters Jakob Poeltl, Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas said the matchup between the Western Conference鈥檚 worst two records would be a 鈥渂attle of young, inconsistent, hard-playing guys.鈥�
The Spurs鈥� defensive efforts were the difference.
The Rockets committed 14 turnovers and shot 45% from the field, while the Spurs shot 55% and were 13 for 36 on 3-pointers.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 like our swagger tonight,鈥� Silas said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 like our defensive intensity. I didn鈥檛 like our attention to detail. I didn鈥檛 like how they were the aggressor, and we weren鈥檛.鈥�
Johnson went 5 for 5 to open the game after struggling for much of the past month. The Spurs rode Johnson鈥檚 hot start, shooting 12 for 19 in taking a 24-21 lead.
鈥淚 thought he held the ball less,鈥� Popovich said. 鈥淗e caught it, he poled it and attacked the rim without any hesitation, especially in the first half. He did that great.鈥�
Malaki Branham sandwiched a 3-pointer between a pair of 3s by Johnson as the Spurs rallied for a 68-65 lead four minutes into the second half. San Antonio was 8 for 14 on 3-pointers in building a 14-point lead in the third quarter.
San Antonio extended its lead to 20 points midway through the final period.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Houston opens a season-high, seven-game homestand Sunday against Milwaukee. The homestand ends Dec. 23 against Dallas. 鈥� Josh Christopher was initially ruled out but was upgraded to available prior to the game. Christopher has a bruised left foot. He had two points in five minutes.
Spurs: San Antonio has played 15 of its 25 games without at least one player from its opening night starting lineup of Johnson, Jones, Vassell, Sochan and Poeltl. 鈥� The Spurs ae 1-15 when trailing after the first quarter. 鈥� Rookie Blake Wesley is nearing a return after being out since Nov. 1 Grade 3 left MCL sprain. Wesley has been practicing 3-on-3 with the team.
BRUISE BROTHER
Spurs center Zach Collins took a couple of blows to the back of the head but remained in the game.
Collins had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes.
鈥淗e plays sort of a nasty game,鈥� Popovich said. 鈥淚 enjoy that because we don鈥檛 have a lot of people who play like that. (Spurs have) really nice guys, but Zach gives us a little bit of nastiness out there, and you need some of that.鈥�
Collins initially whiplashed and smacked the back of his head after tumbling to the court. He fell awkwardly after failing to block Sengun鈥檚 one-handed dunk. Sengun鈥檚 dunk was nullified by an offensive foul, which was upheld by video review.
Collins exited the game but was cleared to come back.
After returning, Collins was clipped in the back of the neck by an elbow from 7-foot-4 center Boban Marjanovic late in the fourth quarter but remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Host Milwaukee on Sunday.
Spurs: At Miami on Saturday.
Raul Dominguez, The Associated Press
