Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors – Game #16
Devin Vassell and the Spurs want to break their long losing streak (Photo via Twitter)
After a promising 3-2 start to Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season, the San Antonio Spurs have lost ten straight games. At 3-12, the Spurs sit in last place in the Western Conference. Tonight, San Antonio travels to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors. At 7-9, the Warriors are currently the 11th seed in the West.
The Spurs haven’t won since beating the Phoenix Suns in back-to-back games on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. Their latest loss came at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, 109-102 (see the Grades).
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
Thankfully, the Spurs don’t have any injuries to report. After missing three games, Devin Vassell was back in the lineup on Wednesday against the Clippers. Vassell and the rest of his teammates will be good to go tonight in Golden State.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
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. Devin Vassell came off the bench against the Clippers but expect him to be back in the starting lineup. Last time Vassell missed games this season, Popovich brought him off the bench for a game before putting him back in the starting five.
That said, if Vassell comes off the bench once again, either Malaki Branham or Julian Champagnie to start in his place.
Gregg Popovich Explains Kawhi Leonard Booing Complaint
The moment Popovich grabbed the mic to ask Spurs fans to not boo Kawhi Leonard went viral after Wednesday night’s contest. An NBA head coach talking to fans during a game is something that is rarely ever seen. A coach criticizing his home fans? That might have been an NBA first.
Spurs fans reacted to Popovich’s criticism by booing Leonard even louder. After the game, San Antonio’s head coach explained that Spurs fans shouldn’t boo Leonard because it’s a mistake to “poke the bear.” It’ll be interesting to see what happens the next time Leonard plays in San Antonio.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Warriors
The Warriors are favored by 10 points and the over/under is 235 points. Considering that San Antonio’s defense has struggled on the road, the over is the smartest bet. The Spurs are healthy, which should allow them to put a healthy number of points on the board. With both teams likely to be putting up points in a hurry, the over appears to be a safe bet.