San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson acknowledged multiple factors behind Saturday’s 111-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, saying, “A little bit of everything. I thought our discipline of how we wanted to guard multiple actions was not up to standard…we fell asleep a couple times in terms of not staying connected to him, got lost in transition.”
Johnson addressed a critical second-quarter stretch, adding, “The offense took some tough shots, turnovers…you win three quarters out of four and still lose the game. That means you had a quarter that obviously had multiple things not going well, and I think that was the case there in the second.”
The coach explained his lineup adjustment, noting, “We’ve had a lot of guys in and out of the lineup…just felt like Devin the last couple games didn’t quite find his rhythm and thought maybe just getting him back to that starting lineup could maybe get him back in that fold.”
Johnson praised Harrison Barnes’ performance off the bench, saying, “Harrison was great…His approach showed that he had a productive game off the bench. That was great for us.”
On facing a hot Charlotte team, he admitted, “It was disappointing for sure. I think Charlotte’s playing really well…but we won three out of the four quarters, so that means there were some things that we were doing well as well, and we just need to do it for more of the 48.”
The Spurs struggled to contain Brandon Miller, who scored 26 points, while Collin Sexton added 21 off the bench for the Hornets. Johnson’s team briefly cut the lead late in the fourth quarter, but Charlotte maintained control, with Miller making key free throws in the final seconds.
Johnson noted the offensive options on crucial plays, saying, “There’s a couple options on the play…him coming off the screen, whether he wanted to take the three or curl it and try to get something at the rim.”
Despite the loss, the Spurs showed moments of cohesion, with Johnson highlighting positive takeaways: “We won three out of the four quarters…some things that we were doing well…just need to do it for more of the 48.”
San Antonio’s next matchup is a home game against the Orlando Magic, while the Hornets will host the New Orleans Pelicans, looking to continue their six-game winning streak.
