The Spurs are headed to the playoffs for the primary time since 2019, with Recreation 1 towards the Portland Path Blazers set for 8 PM CT on Sunday. That’s nonetheless a number of days out, so within the meantime, we’re wanting again among the best common seasons in franchise historical past.
In Half 1, we reviewed the primary a part of the Spurs season that featured a robust begin regardless of lacking De’Aaron Fox to start out the season and Victor Wembanyama for 12 straight video games. In Half 2, we recalled their memorable and arguably season-defining stretch within the second half of December, which featured Wemby’s return and a Cup Semi-finals win plus two extra in a 12-day span towards the defending champion Thunder, formally placing the Spurs on the map. The 12 months concluded with a record-breaking efficiency from Julian Champagnie towards the Knicks, however then the Spurs hit arguably their solely tough patch of the season, which is the place we’re selecting up at this time.
Half 3: January 2026 (8-7)
After struggling a strained indirect within the Knicks recreation to shut 2025, Wemby missed the 2 opening video games of 2026: a win over the lowly Pacers and shut loss at residence to the Path Blazers. (I’m simply now realizing Wemby missed all three common season matchups towards them this season, so there’s a brand new twist to the playoffs resulting from them not having an opportunity to scout that match-up.) He quickly returned, however January continued to observe an up-and-down sample with some good wins mixed with irritating losses.
They obtained their second win over Lakers regardless of a typical 38-10-10 triple double from Luka Doncic, adopted by a victory in Boston towards a Celtics membership that was alleged to be in a “hole” 12 months with Jayson Tatum lacking many of the season and them having to commerce away lots of their depth however rode an MVP-level efficiency from Jalen Brown to the second seed within the East. Oh, and the Lakers recreation was our final nice Jeremy Sochan “troll” second as he set off Jared Vanderbilt after the sport.
These two wins have been adopted by street losses to 2 playoff groups within the Timberwolves and Thunder, however then it was up once more with one other traditional match-up between Wemby and Giannis Antetokounmpo. (It wasn’t that thrilling of a recreation, however who is aware of the place this match-up is headed with Giannis unsure future with the Bucks, so we’ll take pleasure in it whereas it lasts.)
That was adopted by a coronary heart attack-inducing however thrilling victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs constructed a 25-point halftime lead because of a season-high 48 factors within the second quarter, however in sample from every of their match-ups towards this staff this season, the Spurs proceeded to blow it whereas Anthony Edwards scored 26 of his 55 factors within the fourth quarter. The Wolves finally took the lead earlier than bald Wemby went into famous person mode to deliver them again with a 39-point efficiency, but it surely wasn’t gained with out loads of free throw drama first.
The Spurs continued to commerce wins and losses from there, with wins towards the Jazz and Rockets alternating with losses to the Pelicans and Rockets, and naturally who can neglect the ultimate recreation in January, when their Saturday recreation in Charlotte obtained moved again to midday so they might play and get out earlier than the upcoming snow storm, just for the Spurs to blow the sport within the remaining moments, nonetheless get trapped by the climate, and face much more troubles earlier than getting again to San Antonio for a recreation the very subsequent day. If there was one month to neglect from this season, January was it.
They are saying all good groups should undergo some adversity to actually come collectively, and because it turned out, this will have been it. From there, the Spurs would go on a virtually unprecedented run the remainder of the way in which, so verify again tomorrow for the best moments of the (very lengthy) remaining stretch of the season, when the Spurs proved to be a real contender.
