Wembanyama falls short in Phoenix: Spurs lose 98-102 to Suns

The San Antonio Spurs dropped their regular season opener on October 10, 2026, falling 98-102 to the Phoenix Suns at PHX Arena. Victor Wembanyama delivered a well-rounded stat line, but a shaky shooting night and a balanced Suns attack proved too much for San Antonio to overcome on the road.

How Phoenix Pulled Away: A Four-Quarter Breakdown

San Antonio kept pace through the early going, relying on crisp ball movement and the defensive presence of the n°1 pick of the 2023 draft. The Spurs traded baskets efficiently in the first half, with Dylan Harper shooting a sharp 6-of-9 from the field and Stephon Castle adding energy on both ends. Phoenix, however, began building momentum through Jalen Green, who consistently attacked off the dribble and finished with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

The third quarter proved pivotal. Luke Kennard, operating as Phoenix’s primary offensive engine, repeatedly found space beyond the arc and converted at a high clip — he would finish the game with a team-high 20 points, going 4-of-10 from three. San Antonio struggled to string defensive stops together, and a growing deficit heading into the fourth put the Spurs in catch-up mode.

The final quarter saw San Antonio fight back, trimming the lead on multiple occasions, but Phoenix’s composed ball movement and Dillon Brooks’ aggressive foul-drawing — he went 6-of-7 from the line en route to 15 points — sealed the 102-98 final. The Spurs simply could not string together the consecutive stops needed to erase the gap.

Castle and Wembanyama Combine for 26 Points, But Shooting Woes Sting

The most telling sequence of the night came midway through the second half, when Victor Wembanyama showcased his expanding playmaking, threading passes through traffic to create open looks — a dimension of his game highlighted by the San Antonio Express-News. Yet each time the Spurs threatened to cut the deficit to single digits, a Suns bucket — often a Kennard triple or a Green mid-range pull-up — extended the cushion just enough to keep San Antonio at arm’s length.

Wembanyama’s 6 assists illustrated a growing comfort as an orchestrator, but his 0-of-5 mark from three-point range highlighted an off night from distance that the Spurs could not afford in a four-point game.

Three Takeaways: Wemby’s Promise, Team Context, and What’s Next

Victor Wembanyama’s Performance

The French phenom finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in just 22 minutes. His 6-of-14 shooting reflected the efficiency concerns that come with heavy perimeter usage — he attempted five threes without converting — but the passing vision and rim protection were genuinely encouraging for a season opener. A -7 plus-minus underscores how much San Antonio needs the pieces around him to step up.

• Dylan Harper: 15 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast — 6/9 FG
• Victor Wembanyama: 13 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast — 6/14 FG
• Stephon Castle: 13 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast — 5/10 FG
• Julian Champagnie: 10 pts, 1 reb — 2/7 FG, 4/4 FT
• Devin Vassell: 6 pts — 2/9 FG

Team Context

San Antonio’s supporting cast showed genuine promise — Castle and Harper both contributed 13 points with solid assist numbers — but Devin Vassell’s rough shooting night (2-of-9) and Julian Champagnie’s inconsistency from deep left the Spurs without enough secondary firepower. Phoenix, notably without Devin Booker per azcentral.com, nonetheless deployed three scorers in double figures, exposing San Antonio’s defensive rotations.

Looking Ahead

With the regular season just one game old, this 98-102 loss in Phoenix is a useful early diagnostic rather than a cause for alarm. The Spurs return home next, where Wembanyama and his young core will look to translate their offensive versatility into a more efficient — and winning — performance. The development arc of this San Antonio squad makes every game worth watching closely.