Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers – Game #61
Devin Vassell and the Spurs look to win a second straight game (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs will try to keep their momentum flowing in the right direction tonight when they host the Indiana Pacers at the Frost Bank Center. The Spurs are coming off of an exciting victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder by a final score of 132-118. Victor Wembanyama led the way with 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks while showing the world he deserves the NBA Rookie of the Year award over the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren.
The Spurs will try to win a second straight game before embarking on another road trip. After the game against the Pacers, San Antonio plays three straight road games. At 12-48, the Spurs are at the bottom of the Western Conference.
The Pacers have a record of 34-27, which is good enough for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Indiana will be motivated to win because the Pacers are only two games away from jumping all the way up to the fourth seed in the East. There’s a big difference between getting homecourt advantage in the first round and having to compete in the play-in tournament.
In the previous meeting between these two teams, the Pacers absolutely destroyed the Spurs in Indiana by a final count of 152-111. San Antonio will have revenge on their minds tonight.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
The Spurs are dealing with their first injury in a while. Julian Champagnie sprained his ankle against the Thunder and will miss the game versus the Pacers. Champagnie has been starting for the Spurs and is averaging 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
With Julian Champagnie unable to play, head coach Gregg Popovich will be forced to switch up the starting lineup. The most likely scenario has Popovich substituting Malaki Branham in Champagnie’s place. In his last six games, Branham is averaging 12.2 points on 49.1% shooting from the field and 54.5% shooting from three-point range.
Doug McDermott Injury Update
The Spurs traded Doug McDermott to the Pacers at the trade deadline but he will miss tonight’s contest due to a calf injury. McDermott has already missed two games because of his injured calf and is expected to miss a few more contests.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Pacers
The Pacers are favored by 6.5 points and the over/under is 244 points. The smart money is on the over. The Pacers are a very good offensive team and the Spurs have been uneven on that end of the court this season. The Spurs, on the other hand, looked really good offensively versus the Thunder in their return from the Rodeo Road Trip.