Preview: Spurs vs. Hawks – Summer League Game #5
Harrison Ingram and the Spurs will try to win a second straight in Vegas (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs won their first game at the summer league hosted in Las Vegas. Tonight, the Spurs will attempt to go 2-0 when they take on the Atlanta Hawks. This will be the second game of a back-to-back for the summer league Spurs.
Yesterday, the Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by a final count of 83-77. While the final score looks close, the Silver and Black controlled the game from the beginning to the end. Stephon Castle stole the show for the Spurs (see the grades).
The Hawks are 0-1 in Vegas, as they dropped their opener to the Washington Wizards by a final count of 94-88.
Spurs Get First Look at Zaccharie Risacher
With the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher out of France. Risacher is a prospect who many draft pundits believed the Spurs were high on. With the Frenchman off the board, San Antonio ultimately selected Castle with the fourth overall pick.
In his summer league debuts against the Warriors, Risacher had 18 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Stephon Castle Injury Update
Castle landed hard on the ground in the game against the Blazers. After remaining on the floor for a few moments, the rookie got up and stayed in the game. It looked like he hurt his wrist but he was able to play through the discomfort.
Will Castle play against the Hawks? The Spurs haven’t said anything yet but expect Castle to sit out. He sat out the second night of a back-to-back when the Spurs were playing summer league games in Sacramento. Add in the fact that Castle landed hard in yesterday’s game and it’s very likely that Castle will be sidelined.
Spurs Summer League Schedule
This is San Antonio’s fifth summer league game and there will be at least three more contests. On Tuesday, the Spurs take on the New Orleans Pelicans. After that, San Antonio will play the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. At that point, the Spurs will play at least one more game — and perhaps more if they are still in contention for the Vegas summer league championship.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Hawks
The Hawks are favored by five points tonight. While that might be somewhat surprising due to the Spurs being 1-0 and the Hawks being 0-1 so far in Las Vegas, it makes sense. In fact, the smart money is on Atlanta simply due to Castle likely sitting out. Without their first round pick, San Antonio is going to find it difficult to hang.