Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns – Game #24
Keldon Johnson will try to lead the Spurs past the Suns (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns battle this afternoon in the AT&T Center. At 15-7, the Suns have the best record in the Western Conference. At 6-17, the Spurs are tied with the Houston Rockets for the worst record in the West.
Interestingly enough, the Suns are actually coming off of a 122-121 loss to the Rockets — so maybe there is hope for the Spurs. Prior to the Rockets loss, Phoenix had won six straight games.
San Antonio is riding a ten-game losing streak and they’ve lost 15 of their previous 16 contests. In their last outing, the Spurs had success early before they were dominated by the New Orleans Pelicans in the third quarter and ended up losing by a final score of 117-99 (see the Grades).
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
The injury report remains filled to the brim for the Spurs. Jakob Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan, who have both missed the last two games, remain out. Poeltl is dealing with a bone bruise of his knee, while Sochan is dealing with a bruised quad. Joining that duo on the sidelines will be Blake Wesley (torn MCL) and Dominick Barlow (G League).
Doug McDermott is listed as doubtful for the Suns game due to a sprained ankle. Josh Richardson, who is also dealing with a sprained ankle, is listed as questionable. Richardson has missed the last five games. Romeo Langford is also questionable with lower back tightness. Langford has been dealing with lower back tightness the last couple games but he’s been able to play through it.
Head coach Gregg Popovich will also miss today’s game after undergoing a minor medical procedure. Popovich also missed the game against the Pelicans. The Suns game is expected to be the final game that he misses.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
Acting head coach Brett Brown and the Spurs will likely use the same starting lineup that’s been trotted out there the last two games: Tre Jones at point guard, Devin Vassell at shooting guard, Keldon Johnson at small forward, Keita Bates-Diop at power forward and Zach Collins at center.
Off the bench, expect Brown to go with Isaiah Roby, Malaki Branham and Charles Bassey. If Doug McDermott, Josh Richardson or Romeo Langford are able to play, they will also be in the rotation.
Scorching Devin Booker
To say that Suns star Devin Booker is on fire would be an understatement. In his last three games, Booker is averaging 45.3 points per game to go along with 6.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. During that stretch, he’s hitting 66.7% from the field and 57.9% from three-point range.
Expect the Spurs to start out the game with Devin Vassell defending Booker. If Langford is able to go, he’ll also spend a lot of time trying to cool off Phoenix’s sizzling sharpshooter.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Suns
Considering this is a game between the first seed in the West and the last seed in the West, it’s not surprising to learn that the Suns are a 10-point favorite despite being on the road. The over/under is at 230 points.
The smart money tonight is on the Suns to cover. Since Phoenix just lost to the Rockets, they’ll be extra focused against another team at the bottom of the standings. Add in Booker’s scorching ways and all of San Antonio’s injuries and it’s difficult to imagine the Spurs being able to put up much of a fight this afternoon.