Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat – Game #10

Devin Vassell and the Spurs will try get get a win tonight against the Heat (Photo via Twitter)

Riding a four-game losing skid, the San Antonio Spurs will try to put a notch in the win column on Sunday night versus the Miami Heat at the Frost Bank Center. The Spurs have a record of 3-6, while the Heat enter the contest with a 5-4 record. San Antonio is 1-3 at home and Miami is 2-3 on the road.

The good news for the Spurs is they showed signs of improvement against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night (see the Grades). Victor Wembanyama played really well, the defense was better and the offense was hitting on all cylinders for a majority of the game. Unfortunately, a poor third quarter allowed the Timberwolves enough of a cushion to outlast the Spurs by a final count of 117-110.

Against the T-Wolves, Wembanyama had one of his better games of his young career. In 35 minutes, he had 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks, while hitting 12-of-21 shots from the field and 3-of-7 three-pointers.

San Antonio Spurs Injury Update

Tre Jones, who has been one of the most impactful players on the team this season, is questionable for tonight’s game versus the Heat due to hamstring tightness. If Jones can’t go, that’ll put more pressure on starting point guard Jeremy Sochan. Unfortunately, Sochan struggled in his last outing — particularly in terms of dribbling the ball.

Head coach Gregg Popovich would likely turn to a point guard to replace Jones in the rotation. The two most likely candidates are Devonte’ Graham and Blake Wesley. Graham would give the team a veteran three-point shooter who knows how to play, while Wesley would bring more boom-or-bust potential to the table.

San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup

The Spurs were able to use their normal starting lineup against the T-Wolves and should be able to do the same versus the Heat. Expect Popovich to start Jeremy Sochan at point guard, Devin Vassell at shooting guard, Keldon Johnson at small forward, Victor Wembanyama at power forward and Zach Collins at center.

Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Heat

The Heat are favored by two points and the over/under is at 222. With Tre Jones not being 100%, the smart money is on the Heat to win by three or more points. The Spurs have been relying on Jones a lot this season to steady the team. If he misses the game (or is in any way limited), San Antonio will be missing a big part of what makes their team go.