Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Game #48
Keldon Johnson will hope to have another successfully outing against the Cavaliers (Photo via Twitter)
On paper, it appears as if the San Antonio Spurs should be able to get a win tonight versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Spurs are favored by 9.5 points and the Cavs are riding a five-game losing streak. Unfortunately, if we’ve learned anything during San Antonio’s nine-game homestand, it’s to expect the unexpected.
The Spurs have a record of 24-23 and they’re just 2-6 on this homestand. Their latest disappointing loss came against a short-handed Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
The Cavs, 17-32, are just 3-11 in their last 14 games. During that stretch, San Antonio beat Cleveland 116-110. In that game, Keldon Johnson led the way with 23 points and 21 rebounds — arguably his best outing of the season.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
Drew Eubanks missed the game against the Pacers due to a migraine. He’s not on the injury report for the Cavaliers game, so expect him to be back in uniform tonight.
Gorgui Dieng, the recently signed center, has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s contest. He’s recovering from what the team called a sprained shoulder. Dieng got injured 91 seconds into his Spurs tenure. If he is able to play tonight, he’ll likely be the backup center behind Jakob Poeltl. If Dieng can’t go, expect Eubanks to be the backup center.
Lonnie Walker IV, Trey Lyles and Keita Bates-Diop remain out for the Spurs. Walker has an injured wrist, Lyles has a sprained ankle and Bates-Diop has a strained hamstring. All three should be back relatively soon.
Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Update
The Cavs will also be missing a couple of pieces. Jarrett Allen, the team’s starting center who played his college ball at Texas, is out with a concussion. Larry Nance Jr, who is also a starter for Cleveland, is out with an illness.
On Saturday, the Cavs went with a starting five of Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade. That fivesome could start against the Spurs. Alternatively, Taurean Prince could be elevated to the starting lineup.
What’s Ahead for the Spurs
After tonight’s game against the Cavaliers, the Spurs head out on the road. They begin with a five-game road trip. After a quick stop in San Antonio for one game, the Spurs are back on the road for two more contests. All told, the Silver and Black will face what is basically an eight-game road trip after the conclusion of their nine-game homestand.
If the Spurs can’t beat the Cavs on their way out the door, that wouldn’t bode will for the difficult road ahead.