Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images The Spurs can’t hold off the Heat’s second half assault as they suffer a third consecutive blowout loss Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The Spurs played well enough to be competitive for most of the first half, but fell apart after a quick start and were dominated in the second half by a team that played with more aggression and energy. Kel’el Ware came up big off the bench for the Heat as they played a big lineup that flummoxed the Spurs on both ends of the court and took over the game in the third quarter as Miami streaked to a big lead. The Spurs played with a little more intensity in the final quarter, but the Heat were already hot, and they couldn’t get enough stops to make the game competitive as the Heat won Perhaps the Spurs were already anticipating their trip to Paris, which starts right after today’s game, but the lack of focus and inability to play a complete game is concerning for a team that’s had a bad week after a mostly positive first half of the 2024-2025 season. Today’s game was the 41st of the season for the Silver and Black, marking the halfway point, and it’s been pretty positive so far, but a three game loss streak, all blowouts has taken a little of the gloss off of the Spurs improvement as it showed that they still have a long way to go to become a playoff team. We will have to look forward to a better showing on Thursday and Saturday in Paris as the Spurs take on the Pacers. Observations With the team leaving for Paris after the game and the early start, I’m concerned with the focus for the Spurs today. Maybe I shouldn’t have worried as the Spurs rushed out to a quick first quarter lead. I don’t like the recent trend of Wembanyama picking up a foul in the first couple of mints of the game. Do not leave Wembanyama on the perimeter. I can’t believe teams still do that. Charles Bassey has played much bettter recently. I’m not convinced he’s the answer as the Spurs backup center, but he’s done a good job holding up when Wemby has to rest in recent games. The Spurs led 30-20 after the first quarter, but it felt like they should have had a bigger lead, but lost opportunities from turnovers and sloppy play kept it from being a blowout. Kel’el Ware is really good pickup by the Heat. I think he’s eventually going to be a star in this league, He’s really long and skilled on both ends of the court. The Spurs blew a 13 point lead in the second quarter when they went on one of their patented scoring droughts as the Heat went on a 20-2 lead to lead 46-41 at the half in a defensive battle. Wemby’s stint late in the second second quarter was pretty abysmal, which has been a trend recently when he comes back after a rest on the bench. The Spurs were sluggish coming out in the second half, and the Heat added to their lead as the Spurs couldn’t find the basket and took their first double digit lead of the game. The funk continued as the Heat lead swelled to 24 late in the third. The high point of the third quarter for the Spurs was a Tre Jones dunk. I didn’t know he had that in his game. Sandro Mamukelashvili got some extended run in the fourth quarter and maybe earned some more minutes with his solid play. The Heat just hit every three point shot they looked at in the fourth quarter, which blunted the Spurs comeback effort, which really needed some stops to have a shot at succeeding. It was great to see Cissoko get a hoop, even in garbage time. I’m 1-6 on recaps this year. Maybe it’s time to retire. The Spurs are headed to Paris for a two game series against the Pacers, with the first game on Thursday at 1:00 PM CT. It’s going to be amazing to watch Victor Wembanyama and Sidy Cissoko play in their home country.