With roughly every week left within the month of February, and the All-Star break formally over, the Spurs are beginning issues again up with a bang as they face a workforce that has just about confounded them up to now within the Phoenix Suns.
This might be spherical three for these groups, and the lengthy layoff ought to favor San Antonio, who’re hungry for a win within the season sequence and more healthy than they’ve been when going through the Suns this season.
The Spurs are coming into the competition with zero starters on the damage record, and the Suns at the moment are those trying somewhat banged up, having had a number of gamers on the damage record simply earlier than the break, and nonetheless with out defensive provocateur Dillon Brooks within the fold resulting from suspension.
Brooks, specifically, has a long-standing historical past of elevating his recreation in opposition to the Silver and Black, having gone for 25 factors in opposition to the Spurs of their final match-up, and had been carrying that common during the last 10 video games previous to his suspension.
Just like the Spurs, the Suns have been incomes their carry on the defensive finish, with a prime 10 defensive score to point out for it, and their earlier victories not look fairly as fluky with greater than half the season behind them.
San Antonio gave the impression to be hitting one other gear earlier than the break, although, they usually’re carrying a six-game win streak into the sport, and onto their house courtroom, the place they’re 19-6. So long as they keep that defensive depth and match the #3 offensive score of the final 6 video games, they need to give you the option discover a win right here.
In any case, they’ve been 2nd in web score over that stretch, whereas the Suns have slumped to twenty fourth.
The important thing for San Antonio might be shutting down the Suns from long-distance, as their offense relies upon closely on their three-point marksmanship. They’re tenth within the league in three-point share, sixth in three-pointers tried, and eighth in three-pointers made.
Head coach Jordan Ott has the Suns taking part in shrewd, error-free ball, so the Spurs must proceed to dominate the boards (third in rebounding, sixth in rebounding share) to corral any misses, and do their greatest to play cleanly in opposition to a workforce that relies upon closely on different workforce’s errors (third in factors off of turnovers) to energy their offense.
The Suns additionally rely closely on cohesive ball motion (with just one participant averaging 6+ assists per recreation) to create their openings, so the Spurs might want to clog the lanes fairly than key in on a single ball-handler.
This implies they can not simply rely upon the defensive excellence of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Fort, and should be defensively cohesive throughout lineups and quarters.
A gradual strategy is their greatest resolution for the issue that the Suns have been. Any streakiness, nonetheless, will play proper into their fingers and certain result in extra of the identical.
February 18th, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT
Watch: KENS| Hear: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Accidents: Mason Plumlee – Out (Conditioning), Lindy Waters III – Out (Knee)
Suns Accidents: Cole Anthony – Out (Not With Group)
