The San Antonio Spurs are taking part in a few of their finest basketball proper now. The group is on its second three-game successful streak of the season, this time with out their two stars, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. The group has rallied late within the season to complete sturdy. Their three-game successful streak has come principally in opposition to different tanking or injured groups. Tuesday’s recreation with the Detroit Pistons shall be an actual take a look at.
The Pistons are sixth within the Japanese Convention with a rock-solid protection and a mean offense. They wish to play quick (top-5 within the NBA in tempo) and don’t again all the way down to any opponent. Notably, their All-Star, Cade Cunningham, is questionable for Tuesday’s recreation with a calf contusion. With out Cunningham, the Pistons will depend on their scrappy younger core, very like the Spurs.
San Antonio is three video games out of the tenth seed with 12 video games to go. A win in opposition to Detroit and a four-game successful streak would preserve them in competition for a Play-In spot. The Spurs nonetheless have some combat left in them, and so they’ll want it in opposition to the Pistons.
March twenty fifth, 2025 | 6 PM CT
Watch: Fan Duel Southwest | Pay attention: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Accidents: Stephon Fort – Questionable (knee), Victor Wembanyama – Out (shoulder), Charles Bassey – Out (knee), De’Aaron Fox – Out (finger), Riley Minix – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G Leauge), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League)
Pistons Accidents: Cade Cunningham – Questionable (calf), Tim Hardaway Jr. – Questionable (ankle), Ron Harper Jr. – Out (G League), Jaden Ivey – Out (fibula), Daniss Jenkins – Out (G Leauge), Bobi Klintman – Out (G League), Tolu Smith – Out (G League)
What to observe for:
Physicality
The Pistons aren’t fairly the Unhealthy Boys, however they’re shut. Ron Holland, Isaiah Stewart, and the remainder of Detroit play powerful, bodily basketball that may get below the pores and skin of their opponents. San Antonio has to fulfill that power. It will not be stunning to see a Jeremy Sochan scuffle or two in opposition to this group. The Spurs want to carry their very own within the paint and on the boards in opposition to Detroit to remain within the recreation.
Flattening threes
The Pistons defensive weak point comes on the three-point line. They’re within the backside half of the league in opponent three-point share and threes allowed. San Antonio has performed a superb job throughout their successful streak of spreading groups out and pulling down pictures with their small-ball method. Detroit can play small and quick, too, however they are going to surrender a number of the paint aggression that makes them so harmful defensively. Flattening some deep pictures ought to unfold out the Pistons and provides the Spurs an edge.
Sochan holds the road
The Spurs’ third-year Swiss military man has a tall job on his fingers in opposition to Detroit. He’ll need to take care of Jalen Duren and Stewart on the inside as San Antonio’s de facto middle. He’s performed a superb job of competing with different powerful large males like Karl Anthony-Cities up to now. One other bigger-than-his-body efficiency could be simply what the Spurs must compete with the Pistons.
