Spurs offensive explosion breaks record while raising value of several players

That Spurs win served several purposes, and they're all good for San Antonio.

Milwaukee Bucks v San Antonio Spurs
Milwaukee Bucks v San Antonio Spurs | Ronald Cortes/GettyImages

The San Antonio salvaged just a bit of their pride at the January buzzer, winning their only home game of the month. The Silver and Black got revenge on the Milwaukee Bucks, who beat this team in Wisconsin on January 8 by 16 points. They beat the brakes off of Giannis Antetokounmpo and company 144-118, scoring their highest point total of the season.

The Spurs had lost all five previous home games in January by double digits. It was an embarrassing trend the guys needed to fix, and they did it in emphatic fashion, setting a new franchise record for 3-pointers made.

For a team that doesn't shoot the deep shot with great accuracy, they've had a few explosive games from beyond the arc. Tonight's unlikely hero was Keldon Johnson, but he was just one player who stood out in tonight's win. Perfect timing, as the Spurs are reportedly engaged in trade talks because they just raised their value when San Antonio needed it most.

The right and wrong Spurs had big games vs. the Bucks

Johnson had 24 points, four rebounds, and two assists on 10-15 from the field and 4-5 from three. It was one of his best games of the season, and he dropped 20 of those points in the first half. Despite only scoring four in the second half, he had done his job, helping to set the tone and raising his trade profile while he's likely a piece being discussed in a potential deal.

Stephon Castle has been a major focus of Sacramento in trade talks, according to several reporters. But the Spurs nor their fans want to trade the promising young prospect. He had a phenomenal game, though, dropping 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, likely reinforcing the Kings' desire to include him in any potential deal. But the answer shouldn't change for SAS: no.

Tre Jones is steadily getting better. He's had a few really solid games, proving his worth as a solid backup point guard. He had nine points, seven assists, and one steal. Jones plays fundamentally sound defense and rarely turns the ball over. He also continues to show he could fit on a bunch of NBA rosters.

Victor Wembanyama had a sensational game, and he usually does, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't acknowledge it. He dropped 30 points, 14 rebounds, and had six blocks, completely flipping his performance earlier this month. The Bucks forced the Alien to look pedestrian for one of the few times in his short NBA career, but he flipped the script tonight.

The last report indicated that talks have quieted around any potential De'Aaron Fox deal, but that could be because it was time to dial into the games about to be played. The Spurs are on a back-to-back, playing the Miami Heat on Saturday, February 1, so they may want to allow the players to focus on the games at hand.

There's less than a week left before the deadline, but that's plenty of time to make something happen after tomorrow's game if that's how the timeline shakes. In the meantime, the Spurs need to stack as many wins as possible as they get ready to start the longest Rodeo Road Trip of all time. The Silver and Black won't be back at the Frost Bank Center after the Heat game, so it's time to strap in.

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