3 Studs and 3 Duds from the Spurs suspenseful loss to Heat

Stud: Jeremy Sochan

Jeremy Sochan had one of his best games of the young season on Sunday night, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. The second-year playmaker also demonstrated an ever-growing confidence in his three-point stroke, which should have Spurs fans everywhere excited to see how he continues expanding his repertoire.

Sochan looked much more comfortable on the floor compared to some of his prior performances. While there is room for improvement, his upswing in production is starting to show. His defense remained solid as the scrappy Polish stopper recorded two blocks. As long as he continues improving each game, the point Sochan experiment will stay in place for Popovich.

Dud: Victor Wembanyama

Despite numerous highlights, Wembanyama struggled with his shot and made several mistakes throughout the game. The rookie recorded 18 points on an abysmal 8-of-22 shooting, and he was an ice-cold 2-of-9 from deep, dragging his three-point percentage to 29.8% for the season. Errant passes and a loose handle also led to seven costly turnovers.

On the bright side, Victor had a double-double while notching a career-high seven assists. And Wemby found his stride at the start of the fourth quarter, going 3-of-3 from the field, including a slam off a perfectly placed alley-oop from Branham. Despite his hot start to the fourth, the Frenchman took zero shots over the final nine minutes of the contest.

Not every night is going to be a statement performance from the rookie. Games like this offer instrumental lessons for Wembanyama as he progresses through what has already been an impressive showing in his young career.