Spurs' Collins makes immediate impact in 1st game since NBA bubble

Zach Collins took little time shaking off the rust in his first minutes of NBA action in roughly a year-and-a-half.

The San Antonio Spurs big man dropped 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in just 13 minutes in a 131-106 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Collins, who hadn't played since Aug. 13, 2020, while with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA's Disney bubble, was off the court for 537 days while rehabbing an ankle injury.

He also dealt with a torn labrum for most of the 2019-20 season. As a result, Friday's win was just his 12th game since May 20, 2019.

"It's been a long road, it's been forever since I played in an NBA game because of this damn ankle," Collins told Bally Sports San Antonio after the game, "It was a lot of work that goes into the rehab, especially when you're rehabbing for 18 months."

"To see all the work and everything come to light, and come to fruition, I've been dreaming about this for a long, long time."

A former 2017 lottery pick out of Gonzaga, Collins showed flashes in his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Blazers before his lengthy spell of injuries.

For his career, the 24-year-old is averaging 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Collins signed a three-year, $22-million deal with the Spurs last offseason. The second season of the deal is partially guaranteed, while the third is non-guaranteed.