Rockets ground Wembanyama

Fred VanVleet scored 21 points and the Houston Rockets held Victor Wembanyama in check to beat the San Antonio Spurs 103-101 on Tuesday night.

San Antonio cut the deficit to 99-98 with 19 seconds remaining on Jeremy Sochan's three-point play off a missed 3-pointer by Wembanyama. But Houston was able to stay ahead from the foul line.

"I feel like we followed the game plan until the final minute," Rockets guard Dillon Brooks said. "We wanted to foul and not let them get any shots up on the rim, make them earn it on the free-throw line."

Houston won its fourth straight on the road and is five games behind Golden State for 10th in the Western Conference.

Wembanyama finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists after a sluggish start.

"I wish we played him again," Brooks said.

Wembanyama finished 5 for 12 from the field as Houston threw multiple double- and triple-teams at him while using undersized defenders such as Brooks and Jae'Sean Tate.

"The physicality, the energy," Wembanyama said of the difficulties he faced offensively. "Every night it's a challenge, but this is a very aggressive team defensively, so this is the hardest (team I've played)."

Tre Jones had 22 points and Sochan added 21 as San Antonio lost for the fourth time in five games.

Agencies via Xinhua