Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets – Game #50
Lonnie Walker IV returns tonight for the Spurs against the Nuggets (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs have lost four straight games and nine of their last 11 contests. Tonight, they will attempt to hop back on the winning track when they take on the Denver Nuggets. The Spurs and Nuggets played on Wednesday, with Denver cruising to a 106-96 victory.
While the Spurs played well at times against the Nuggets on Wednesday, they collapsed in the second half. The bench unit, typically a strength for the Silver and Black, let the team down. Patty Mills had a plus/minus of -29, while Rudy Gay wasn’t much better at -22.
This evening, the Spurs will need better play from both their starters and their bench if they are going to stop their slide.
San Antonio Spurs Standings Update
Not long ago, the Spurs were the seventh seed in the Western Conference and were within striking distance of moving a few spots higher. Currently, San Antonio is ninth in the West and they’re two games behind the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and four games behind the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks.
The Spurs also have three teams on their tail. The Golden State Warriors are one game back, the New Orleans Pelicans are three games back and the Sacramento Kings are three and a half games back. If the Spurs fall to the 11th spot in the conference, they won’t be in the NBA’s play-in tournament.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
The big news going into tonight’s game is the return of Lonnie Walker IV. Dealing with an injured wrist, Walker hasn’t played since March 22nd against the Charlotte Hornets. On the season, he’s averaging 11.5 points on 42.5% shooting from the field and 35.6% shooting from three-point range.
Unfortunately, there is some bad news for the Spurs. Gorgui Dieng, who injured his shoulder in his Spurs debut, is back out due to the same shoulder. Last game, he was obviously in pain and was eventually replaced in the rotation with Drew Eubanks. It’s not known how long Dieng will be out but expect him to be sidelined until he’s close to 100% healthy.
Keita Bates-Diop and Trey Lyles are still out with injuries. Bates-Diop has a strained hamstring, while Lyles has a twisted ankle.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
With Walker available once again, will he start for the Spurs? Probably not. While he has started 30 of the 37 games he’s played so far this season, the last time we saw him he was coming off the bench. Expect that to be the case again tonight.
With how bad the Spurs bench played in the Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets, Walker will be a breath of fresh air.