SAN ANTONIO, TX -MARCH 14: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reaches for a loose ball over Moussa Diabate #14 of the Charlotte Hornets in the second half at Frost Bank Center on March 14, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by down loading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images There were moments in the third quarter when the game threatened to tighten, when the crowd inside the Frost Bank Center grew quiet and the visiting Charlotte Hornets found a rhythm. But each time the pressure mounted, the San Antonio Spurs had an answer. And more often than not, that answer came from Victor Wembanyama. Behind another dominant night from their franchise centerpiece, the Spurs powered past the Hornets 115-102, controlling the tempo for most of the day and showing flashes of the balanced basketball they hope will carry them through the final month of the season. “The third quarter got up and down a little bit, got a little open,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said of the Spurs’ run in the second half. “I thought we did a really good job of getting our defense set and did a good job of making them play through their counters. I thought we did a good job of being connected in that set.” From the opening minutes, San Antonio looked determined to dictate the pace. Instead of settling for early jump shots, the Spurs attacked the paint, forcing Charlotte’s defense to collapse and creating clean looks across the floor. The approach paid off quickly as San Antonio built a steady lead while Wembanyama rested during portions of the first quarter. When the 7-foot-4 star returned, the offense began to revolve around him. Wembanyama showcased the full arsenal that has made him one of the league’s most unique talents—draining mid-range jumpers, stretching the defense with his perimeter shooting, and calmly setting up teammates when double teams arrived. By the end of the night, he had racked up 32 points in just 30 minutes, a stat line that felt almost routine given his control of the game. “Victor was locked in and communicating. I thought Luke [Kornet] was really good too,” Johnson said of the Spurs’ defense in the paint. “I thought Luke and Victor did a great job of manning the middle. 18 assists and 30 points in the paint for them [Charlotte] are numbers that look good on the surface. We have to look back at the tape there.” Still, Charlotte refused to go down without a fight. Rookie Kon Knueppel sparked the Hornets in the third quarter, pouring in 16 points in a burst that briefly gave the visitors hope. Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball started to find his range from beyond the arc. But foul trouble interrupted Ball’s rhythm and kept the Hornets from fully capitalizing on their momentum. Each time Charlotte threatened to close the gap, the Spurs calmly widened it again. A powerful transition dunk from rookie Carter Bryant ignited the arena late in the fourth quarter, while strong efforts on the glass from Devin Vassell and the Spurs’ frontcourt prevented second chances for Charlotte. The Hornets never got closer than eight points in the second half, and San Antonio gradually stretched the lead back into comfortable territory. By the final buzzer, the Spurs had done exactly what good teams do against struggling opponents: control the game, weather the runs, and close the door. it was another reminder for the Spurs of what the team can look like when its defense stays disciplined and its offense flows through its generational star. On a day when Wembanyama once again commanded the spotlight, the Spurs looked every bit like a team learning how to win together. “I think I had a lot of responsibility in the loss against them [Charlotte],” Wembanyama said. “Today, we won three out of four quarters. So basically the whole game was steady.” Game Notes San Antonio struggled from three-point range on the afternoon, going 11-for-33. However, rebounding is why the Spurs kept the Hornets at bay. Luke Kornet had his best game since returning from injury, pulling down four offensive boards, while Wemby and De’Aaron Fox had two each. Keldon Johnson rebounded from a poor outing on Thursday to score 13 points off the bench on 66 percent shooting in 20 minutes. The “French Vanilla” lineup of Wembanyama and Kornet got some minutes on Saturday afternoon, highlighted by Wemby’s lob pass to Luke that got the arena buzzing.“I thought the it worked well,” Coach Johnson said of the double big lineup. He added he may go to it more in the future, but wants to ensure the guys have enough reps to work together to get it down. “It’s tough to ask them to go out like that and have them execute at a high level if they haven’t had the reps to do it.” Speaking of Kornet, he had 10 points to go along with eight rebounds. If this is the Kornet the Spurs will get come playoff time, teams will find it very difficult to live inside the paint against this San Antonio squad. ...read more read less