Shorthanded or not, the San Antonio Spurs will aim for their first three-game winning streak of the season when they host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
The Spurs have built momentum with a 110-104 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday, followed by a 126-118 win over Utah on Thursday. Harrison Barnes led the way against the Jazz with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Zach Collins and Stephon Castle each contributed 18 points.
San Antonio overcame a 20-point deficit late in the first half and surged ahead in the fourth quarter. Julian Champagnie scored 14 points, and Chris Paul added 13 points and 10 assists, marking his third double-double in the past four games. Keldon Johnson scored 12 points, and Tre Jones and Charles Bassey each chipped in 11 points for the Spurs.
The Spurs played without their injured star center Victor Wembanyama (bruised right knee) and guard Devin Vassell (sore left knee) for the third consecutive game. The availability of both players, as well as Johnson (hamstring), remains uncertain.
San Antonio holds a 7-3 home record, their best start at home since the 2017-18 season.
The Warriors arrive in San Antonio following a determined 112-108 win in New Orleans on Friday, which clinched first place in West Group C in the NBA Cup.
Golden State had difficulty securing the win against the shorthanded Pelicans, needing a pair of free throws by Draymond Green in the final 2.2 seconds. The Warriors have now won two straight and five of their last six games.
Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 30 points, while Stephen Curry added 19, Buddy Hield 12, and Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski each contributed 11 points.
Coach Steve Kerr’s strategy of involving more players has been key to the Warriors’ success. Golden State regularly plays at least 11 players for 10 or more minutes per game, with 11 players seeing at least 14 minutes of action on Friday.
Saturday’s game will be the first of three meetings between the Warriors and Spurs this season. The teams will not face each other again until March 30 in San Antonio and April 9 in San Francisco.
