The San Antonio Spurs lost their third game in five tries against teams with losing records. This time, the Portland Trail Blazers beat them 115-110. The loss dropped the Spurs to 25-10, which still puts them second in the Western Conference. But head coach Mitch Johnson isn’t focused on their ranking right now.
According to Clutch Points, Johnson pointed out a clear pattern after the game. His team keeps falling behind early, and it’s not just bad luck anymore. The numbers show a real problem with how the Spurs start games.Against Portland, San Antonio trailed by 11 points after the first quarter.
In their previous loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were down 10 points just eight and a half minutes into the game. When they played the Utah Jazz on December 27, they found themselves down 10 at halftime.
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The Spurs can’t afford to keep digging early holes
Johnson said it’s hard to pick just one main issue from the loss. But he made it clear that starting games with the right energy matters. He said the 11-point hole in the first quarter came from things his team could control.
“Tough to say what the biggest takeaway is. But I think every game has a lot of takeaways. And I think for us, just starting the game with the right approach and putting our energy into the right places. You know, an 11-point hole in the first quarter with a lot of things you could control went into that minus 11,” he said.
The team used to struggle in third quarters earlier this season. They seem to have fixed that problem. But now they’ve traded one issue for another with these slow starts. Johnson’s honest assessment mirrors how other coaches address their teams’ struggles when facing tough questions about performance.
Johnson knows coming back from big deficits is tough in the NBA. It gets even harder when you’re playing the second game of back-to-back nights. Portland also played the night before, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 122-109. Both teams were missing key players too.
The Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama and starter Devin Vassell. They had beaten the Indiana Pacers the night before without those two. But against Portland, San Antonio only shot 32% from three-point range and 43% from the field overall.
Johnson gave credit to Portland for their effort. He said the Blazers fought harder for loose balls and rebounds. They did a better job finishing possessions. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook recently achieved a milestone that shows what sustained excellence looks like in the league. Still, Johnson’s biggest worry is clear. His team needs to figure out how to start games strong and avoid falling behind early.
Published: Jan 5, 2026 05:15 pm