The Spurs are headed to the playoffs for the primary time since 2019, and we now know their first spherical opponent would be the Portland Path Blazers, with Recreation 1 set for 8 PM CT on Sunday. That’s nonetheless a number of days out, so within the meantime, we’re wanting again top-of-the-line common seasons in franchise historical past.
Yesterday, we appeared on the first a part of the season, which featured a 5-0 begin, adopted by the Spurs persevering with to roll regardless of lacking Victor Wembanyama for 12 straight video games due to a calf pressure. In his absence, the Spurs nonetheless thrived due to the management of De’Aaron Fox and the superior depth they’d developed through the years by way of the draft and free company. All of it added as much as a win on the highway towards the Lakers to earn a visit to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup Semi-Finals, which is the place we’re selecting issues up in the present day.
Half 2: Dec. 13 – Dec. 31 (7-2*)
* Not counting their loss within the NBA Cup Last to the Knicks.
Technically, that is simply 9 video games (10 if you happen to depend the Cup Last that happily counts as Wemby’s sixty fifth recreation and makes him award eligible however not in every other capability), so it is likely to be a stretch to think about this a whole section of the season, nevertheless it was too memorable to not! Nonetheless, regardless that I counted the primary a part of December in Half 1 (since we’re utilizing Wemby’s return because the launching level for this half), we’ll nonetheless level out {that a} win in New Orleans on December 8 kicked off their first 8-game profitable streak since 2019, and so they went 11-3 total (once more, not counting the Cup Last). Additionally, the Spurs had 8 totally different gamers lead the group in scoring in December, which is mind-blowing and one other reminder of their insane depth (hat tip to TontonOngBak).
The third recreation of that profitable streak is the place we’re kicking issues off right here, starting in Las Vegas with Wemby returning to from his prolonged absence, albeit in a bench function and on minutes restrictions, simply in time for the primary of what could be three shocking victories over the Thunder, starting with a Cup Semifinal win after a backwards and forwards 4th quarter, which formally introduced the Spurs to the nationwide viewers’s consideration.
Whereas they’d go on to lose the Cup Last to the Knicks (who’re a surprisingly cussed matchup for them), it didn’t formally depend, though Keldon Johnson nonetheless obtained a large enough bonus to get his llamas! From there, they continued their win streak with a couple of simple video games towards the Wizards and Hawks earlier than a home-away miniseries towards the Thunder, through which they blew them out at dwelling earlier than a surprisingly snug win in OKC on Christmas Day. As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went on to say, you don’t lose to the identical group 3 times in 12 days with out them being higher than you.
In any case that pleasure, they returned dwelling for a few letdown losses towards the Jazz and Utah earlier than ending on a excessive observe. In what’s changing into a development of their dwelling video games towards the Knicks, a random function participant steps up with a historic efficiency to guide the Spurs to an thrilling victory. Final 12 months, it was Sandro Mamukelashvili with 34 factors on 93% taking pictures (7-7 from three!), and this season, it was Julian Champagnie with a career-high 36 factors whereas hitting a franchise file 11 threes on 17 makes an attempt to make them a come-from-behind 134-132 win on New Yr’s Eve and cap off a memorable 2025 for the group.
It certain was a December to recollect after such an incredible run, and now, the Spurs had been formally on everybody’s radar. Test again tomorrow as we go to half three, which was arguably their solely “tough” patch of the season.
