Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies – Game #13

Victor Wembanyama will try to shoot the Spurs by the Grizzlies (Photo via Twitter)

On the second night of a back-to-back, the San Antonio Spurs host the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at the Frost Bank Center with hopes of ending their seven-game losing streak. Last night, the Spurs played hard but ended up losing to the Sacramento Kings in a back and forth affair. San Antonio was led in scoring by Zach Collins and Victor Wembanyama but they couldn’t quite get the job done in the fourth quarter (see the Grades).

The Spurs, who have a record of 3-9, are above only one team in the Western Conference standings: the 2-9 Grizzlies. Memphis lost their first six games of the season but have gone 2-3 in their last five contests. 

Considering San Antonio has dropped seven straight and considering they’re taking on a team below them in the standings, this is an important game for the Spurs to win. If they lose tonight, the Spurs may be in for a long losing streak because their next four games are against the Los Angeles Clippers twice and then the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets on the road.

San Antonio Spurs Injury Update

Let’s start with the good news. Tre Jones isn’t listed on the injury report, which means he will be back in the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury. Neither Keldon Johnson nor Jeremy Sochan are on the injury list, which means those two will be able to play.

The bad news is that Devin Vassell will miss another game with an adductor injury. He missed the game against the Kings with the same injury and also dealt with an adductor injury earlier in the season.

San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup

We can safely say that head coach Gregg Popovich will start Jeremy Sochan at point guard, Keldon Johnson at small forward, Victor Wembanyama at power forward and Zach Collins at center. Julian Champagnie started the last two games at shooting guard, so he’s definitely the most likely to start in Devin Vassell’s place. The other option would be Malaki Branham.

Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are favored by 3.5 points and the over/under is at 226.5 points. The smart money is on the Spurs. San Antonio is desperate for a win and the return of Tre Jones is actually a really important turn of events. The Spurs have been at their best this year with Jones energizing the bench unit.