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Two of the top picks in the 2024 NBA draft faced off in the preseason on Thursday night, with the Houston Rockets defeating the San Antonio Spurs by the final score of 129-107.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle, the No. 4 overall selection in the 2024 draft, continued his strong start to the preseason. Castle finished with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists to go along with two steals in 24 minutes of action.
While he was only able to connect on one of his five three-point attempts, he still shot 5-9 from inside the arc.
The former UConn standout has showcased his efficient scoring throughout the preseason, entering Thursday’s game with an average of 9.8 points in 20.2 minutes per game on 45.8 percent shooting.
Fans were impressed with his latest effort.
Spurs Culture @SpursCulture
Stephon Castle tonight:
16 PTS
4 REB
4 AST
2 STL
42.9 FG%
75.0 FT%
23 MIN
The future is bright bright pic.twitter.com/wDnAEhaCgE
For the Rockets, Reed Sheppard had a quiet night. After scoring nine points in 22 minutes on Tuesday, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft recorded just two points on 1-4 shooting against the Spurs on Thursday. Sheppard also pulled down three rebounds and dished out two assists.
The rookie guards won’t have to wait long until they match up in the regular season, as the first meeting between San Antonio and Houston is on Oct. 26.
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