TORONTO vs SAN ANTONIO
When: 12/26/2020 8:30 PM
Where:

TV: 8:30 PM
LINE: 1.5
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , TORONTO

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the TORONTO, while the game’s total is sitting at 226.

The San Antonio Spurs were super sharp in their first action of the year and look to carry the momentum from a solid season-opening road win when they host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday in the Alamo City.

The Spurs are coming off a dominating 131-119 win at Memphis on Wednesday. All five of the Spurs’ starters tallied at least 16 points and seven players in all were in double-figure scoring in the victory, the 20th in the past 22 season-openers for San Antonio.

DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points to lead a balanced offensive attack as San Antonio (1-0) used a 14-0 run in the middle of the second quarter to take charge of the game. The Spurs led by as many as 15 in the period, and Memphis never got closer than seven points over the final 30 minutes.

“Our young guys competed hard, really showed themselves well for the first game we played together,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I don’t think we got back really well the last six, seven minutes of the game. But, fortunately, we were able to continue scoring.”

Dejounte Murray added 21, LaMarcus Aldridge poured in 20 points, Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker IV each scored 16, Patty Mills 13, and Rudy Gay 10 points for San Antonio.

“We got a little sloppy toward the end,” Murray said. “But we fought, we played together, and we made it happen, and we came out with a win.”

San Antonio went 25-for-29 from the free throw line, with DeRozan 14-for-15.

The Raptors will try to get on track after a 113-99 loss to New Orleans in Tampa in their season opener. Toronto will play at least 17 games of the campaign with Tampa as its home base because of COVID-19 and the travel restrictions between the United States and Canada.

Pascal Siakam had 20 points for the Raptors (0-1) while Kyle Lowry finished with 18, Norman Powell and Chris Boucher 12 each off the bench, and Aron Baynes 11 points in the loss.

“I thought that there was a long stretch of the game, take the turnovers out of it, where the offense was really cooking good,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said. “The shots were there and the execution was there, there were some really good ball movement plays and things like that, but we just had too many unforced errors.”

Toronto was outscored 38-22 in the third quarter and 63-42 in the second half, relying too much on the 3-point shot to try to get back in the game. The Raptors missed all 10 long-distance shots they took in the third quarter and were just 14 of 46 from beyond the arc in the game.

“Obviously, we have to knock them down as a team and then we just can’t go through times like that when we don’t make shots and we don’t stop them either,” Siakam said. “So that’s the problem. I think, at the end of the day, those shots are going to be there and we need to take them.”

The two teams split their series last year. The Spurs own a 34-14 all-time edge over Toronto, including a 19-5 mark in games played in San Antonio.

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SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs HOUSTON ROCKETS
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Saturday, December 22, 2018
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -5
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , SAN ANTONIO

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -5 point favorites versus the SAN ANTONIO, while the game’s total is sitting at 215.5.

The Houston Rockets will once again try to move forward without star point guard Chris Paul when they open a three-game homestand against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Paul strained his left hamstring in Thursday’s 101-99 loss at Miami, which snapped the Rockets’ five-game winning streak, and will miss at least two weeks.

“It’s definitely tough, because he’s a big-time playmaker and ball handler for us,” guard Eric Gordon told reporters. “In this offense you need all of the playmaking that you can have, and usually me, Chris, and James [Harden] have the ball in our hands trying to play-make for other people and provide good scoring.” Harden did his best to fill the gap with 35 points and 12 assists against the Heat and Gordon added 20 points but the pair combined to make only 13-of-40 attempts as Houston shot 35.4 percent. The Spurs have won three in a row and seven of eight, and several of the wins have been of the lopsided variety, including Friday’s 124-98 rout of Minnesota at home. San Antonio hit a season-high 19 3-pointers — five apiece by Davis Bertans and Marco Belinelli — as it reached the 120-point mark for the fifth time during the 7-1 surge.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, KENS (San Antonio), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)

ABOUT THE SPURS (18-15): San Antonio coasted Friday while getting just 22 total points from top scorers DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, who entered with a combined average of 42.2. “Everybody was willing, we did a good job of sharing the ball and then we made shots on top of it, so that makes for a really good night,” coach Gregg Popovish told reporters after his team recorded a season-high 36 assists. Bryn Forbes scored 22 points and he is averaging 19.5 on 70 percent shooting over his last two games.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (16-15): In the recent past Houston has moved Gordon into the starting lineup in place of Paul, but that was when James Ennis III was healthy and also starting. Ennis is out with his own hamstring issue and there is now an opportunity for Brandon Knight, who is just 3-for-16 from the floor in limited action this season, to make more of an impact. Harden figures to continue to put up gaudy numbers and he is averaging 39.8 points, 9.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds over his last five games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Rockets are 0-5 this season without Paul.

2. The Spurs have given up an average of 125.8 points while going 0-5 in the last half of back-to-backs.

3. The teams split two earlier meetings — both at San Antonio.

PREDICTION: Rockets 113, Spurs 108

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CHICAGO BULLS vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS
When: 8:30 PM  ET, Saturday, December 15, 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 8:35 PM
LINE: -12.5
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , CHICAGO

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as -12.5 point favorites versus the CHICAGO, while the game’s total is sitting at 210.5.

The San Antonio Spurs are playing like the great teams of their recent past during a six-game homestand and are coming off one of their most impressive wins after blowing past the Los Angeles Clippers 125-87 on Thursday. The Spurs will try to make it five straight victories when they host the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

San Antonio held each of its last two opponents under 90 points and limited the Clippers to 30 points in the second half on Thursday. “I thought that we played a really good defensive game, and that fuels your offense in most situations,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. “I like to think we’re getting better, more consistent defensively, and I think that showed tonight.” The Bulls averaged 85.7 points in their last three games – all losses – and fell short in the final minutes of a 97-91 loss to the Orlando Magic in Mexico City on Thursday. “As a group, we have to make one or two big plays at the end, whether it’s a rebound or finishing a play at the rim, playing through contract, whatever it is,” Bulls interim coach Jim Boylen told reporters. “We’re going to keep working at that.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), KENS (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE BULLS (6-23): One reason for Chicago’s offensive struggles of late is power forward Lauri Markkanen’s shooting slump, and he went 2-of-10 from the floor on Thursday to fall to 10-of-36 over the last three contests. “I was just missing them,” Markkanen told reporters. “I had a couple of good looks, but then a couple at the end of the shot clock I had to force. I am still trying to get adjusted to playing the game and I just need to get my legs back under me. I’m confident on every shot even though I have been missing lately, so I am still confident I am going to make every shot.” The Bulls offense is not likely to include forward Jabari Parker, who logged four minutes on Thursday and has fallen out of Boylen’s rotation.

ABOUT THE SPURS (15-14): San Antonio sat three games under .500 after dropping a 121-113 decision at the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 7 but is turning things around at home and climbed back above .500 with Thursday’s triumph. “We knew coming into this with the adversity we were facing before this home stretch, we had to come in and take advantage of this opportunity,” Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters. “We had a lot of mistakes early on (in the season). So, we’re just getting to this point of trying to put everything together and keep it rolling. (We’re) trying to go out there and win every quarter by trying to limit them to 25 or less points. We just have to take pride in holding teams under a certain amount of points.” DeRozan is increasing his role as a playmaker and averaged 8.3 assists over the last four games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bulls SF Chandler Hutchinson (illness) sat out Thursday and is day-to-day.

2. Spurs SF Rudy Gay is averaging 19.6 points on 61.3 percent shooting over the last five games.

3. San Antonio took the last four in the series, including a 108-107 win at Chicago on Nov. 26.

PREDICTION: Spurs 106, Bulls 88

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PHOENIX SUNS vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS
When: 8:30 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 8:35 PM
LINE: -11.5
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , PHOENIX

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as -11.5 point favorites versus the PHOENIX, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.

Gregg Popovich looks to move into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time coaching victories list when the San Antonio Spurs host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Popovich’s 1,210 career wins tie him for fourth with Pat Riley, and he is just 11 triumphs behind Jerry Sloan for third place.

San Antonio has won consecutive games and is aiming to get back to .500 against a lowly Phoenix team that has split this season’s two meetings. “We just need to keep building on the last two games no matter who the next opponent is,” Spurs guard Patty Mills told reporters. “This time, it just happens to be Phoenix, but our focus has to be on continuing to build on the way that we are playing.” The Suns have dropped nine straight games after suffering a 123-119 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and are a porous 1-12 on the road. Shooting guard Devin Booker will sit out his fifth consecutive contest due to a hamstring injury.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE SUNS (4-23): Rookie center Deandre Ayton, who has been a bright spot during a miserable start to the campaign, recorded 20 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to the Clippers. The double-double was the 15th of the season for the No. 1 overall draft pick, who has made 17-of-25 shots over his last two games. Rookie forward Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 19 points on Monday for his second straight double-digit effort since the infamous incident on Thursday, when he tried to avoid Igor Kokoskov as the coach attempted to provide feedback during a loss to Portland.

ABOUT THE SPURS (13-14): San Antonio is playing the third contest of its six-game homestand and was sharp while winning each of the first two contests – against the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah – by 13 points. The strong performances followed a stretch during which the Spurs dropped four of five games, with three of the losses being by more than 30 points. “The last couple of games, we looked better at the defensive end,” Popovich told reporters. “More communication, a little more understanding. Guys get used to playing with each other and understanding what the process is for the way we want to play. I think it’s sinking in, so we’ll see if it continues.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Suns have lost their last nine visits to San Antonio.

2. Spurs backup F Davis Bertans (personal reasons) likely will miss his second straight game.

3. Phoenix SF T.J. Warren (ankle) returned from a five-game absence against the Clippers but played just 12 minutes before being ejected, while backup SG Jamal Crawford (knee) probably will sit out his second consecutive contest.

PREDICTION: Spurs 113, Suns 89

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LA LAKERS vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS
When: 8:30 PM  ET, Friday, December 7, 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 8:35 PM
LINE: -1
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , LA LAKERS

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as -1 point favorites versus the LA LAKERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 226.

LeBron James looks to torture San Antonio for the second time in three nights when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Spurs on Friday to conclude a home-and-home set. James scored 20 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday to help the Lakers defeat the Spurs 121-113 to stretch their winning streak to four games.

Wednesday’s victory marked the first time Los Angeles defeated San Antonio in three chances this season and the win featured the third 40-point effort of the season for James, who is becoming mentioned as an early MVP candidate. “Well, he’s obviously in that top group,” Lakers coach Luke Walton told reporters of James’ MVP case. “It’s early. We count on LeBron to do a lot for us and there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with the type of player he is. And I’ve been very impressed with how he handles it and how he continues to work and make winning the ultimate thing.” While the Lakers have won 13 of their past 17 games, San Antonio has dropped four of its last five and coach Gregg Popovich pointed at James as the reason for his team’s latest setback. “LeBron was the generator,” Popovich told reporters. “He made some great 3s, he drove it to the bucket, hit a lot of open people on the drive. He did it all. He got it done.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE LAKERS (15-9): Small forward Brandon Ingram sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game and didn’t travel with the club for a two-game trip to San Antonio and Memphis. Ingram, who averages 15.2 points, is slated to undergo an MRI exam to rule out serious damage and a timetable for his return will be determined after the results come back. “Just next-man-up mentality. He’s a big part of what we do,” Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma told reporters about the team replacing Ingram. “Big part offensively and defensively, so for us, it’s all about stepping up. Next man has to get in there.”

ABOUT THE SPURS (11-14): Veteran forward Rudy Gay exploded for 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting against the Lakers one night after going scoreless in 19 minutes in a loss to the Utah Jazz. It was the first 30-point effort for Gay in over 25 months, the last coming in the fifth game of the 2016-17 season when he scored 30 as a member of the Sacramento Kings. Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points on Wednesday for his second 30-point outing in three games and seventh of the season.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. James is averaging 36.3 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against the Spurs this season.

2. San Antonio G Bryn Forbes is averaging six points on 8-of-23 shooting over the past three games.

3. Kuzma scored 22 points on Wednesday and has topped 20 in four of the past six games.

PREDICTION: Lakers 118, Spurs 113

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -1
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , PORTLAND

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as -1 point favorites versus the PORTLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 216.

The San Antonio Spurs continue to sink toward the bottom of the Western Conference while displaying an uncharacteristic inability to stop opponents on the defensive end. They will try to limit the damage against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers — who already put up some big numbers against the Spurs earlier this season — when the teams meet Sunday.

After an embarrassing 128-89 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday, San Antonio returned home to suffer a 136-105 defeat at the hands of Houston, and Gregg Popovich’s team has seen the last two opponents combine to make 40 3-pointers in 95 attempts. “Guys feel embarrassed and deflated, and rightfully so,” guard Patty Mills told reporters. “It’s the big picture. It’s who we represent when we put these jerseys on. It’s who we play for. It’s much bigger than that, and we need to understand that we are here just for a short time amongst this organization that will be here for a lot longer than we are. We’ve got to take pride in that.” The Blazers shot 53.6 percent while defeating the Spurs 121-108 at home on Oct. 20. That was early in Portland’s 10-3 start, but the squad has since dropped six of nine, including a 113-112 loss against Denver on Friday at home.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Northwest (Portland), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (13-9): CJ McCollum scored 33 points against the Nuggets but lamented his missed shot at the buzzer as a late rally fell short. “Coach drew up a little spread action where I run to the corner and come off the double (team),” McCollum told reporters of the final play. “(Al-Farouq Aminu) slips and then (Damian Lillard) hits (Jusuf Nurkic) and comes around for a little handoff. Dame turned the corner, ran into a crowd, and kicked it to me. I missed an open 18-footer.” It was one of just three missed shots in 17 attempts inside the arc for McCollum, who shot 49.1 percent in November after struggling to hit 41 percent of his attempts in October.

ABOUT THE SPURS (10-11): San Antonio has allowed at least 135 points an NBA-high four times in 2018-19, two more than it did in Popovich’s first 22 seasons at the helm, but the future Hall of Famer sees issues all over the place. “It’s a game where you try to continue to get better at all aspects,” Popovich told the media after the loss to the Rockets. “We’re obviously discombobulated on offense. So a lot of that has to do with me. I’ve got to do a better job there. I think defensively, we’ve obviously got to shore up our effort and our wisdom at that end of the court. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Leading scorer DeMar DeRozan was held to 18 points — nearly six below his average — against Houston after producing a season-low 10 on Wednesday in Minnesota.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lillard scored 29 points and handed out nine assists with zero turnovers in the first meeting.

2. Spurs SF Dante Cunningham has 18 total points over his last six games after scoring 19 on 7-of-7 shooting at New Orleans on Nov. 19.

3. Opponents shoot 48 percent against the Spurs, the third-worst mark in the NBA entering Saturday.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 113, Spurs 110

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SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs LA CLIPPERS
When: 10:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:35 PM
LINE: -5.5
PREDICTION: LA CLIPPERS , SAN ANTONIO

Oddsmakers currently have the LA CLIPPERS listed as -5.5 point favorites versus the SAN ANTONIO, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.

The Los Angeles Clippers have won four of their past five games and are brimming with confidence as they host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. The Clippers were ecstatic after posting a 121-116 overtime victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Monday and look to continue their hot stretch against a San Antonio squad that has dropped four of its last five.

Los Angeles has posted consecutive overtime victories – beginning with the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday – and was busy making the key plays in the extra session against the Warriors after allowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to slip away. “It’s how we won, we could’ve played better, so that’s my job there,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “We did a couple things defensively that we just can’t do to win games down the stretch. I told them after the game, ‘Let’s be good, let’s not be lucky.’ The thing I like about our team is we’re gonna get better.” The Spurs are slipping in the other direction after getting mauled 116-96 by the struggling Phoenix Suns on Wednesday to fall to 0-2 on a three-game road trip. The 20-point margin matched San Antonio’s largest setback of the campaign and came two weeks after it trounced the Suns by 30 in Phoenix.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE SPURS (7-6): San Antonio’s defense was suspect from the start against Phoenix in a game it never led and it allowed the Suns to shoot 56 percent from the field, including 15-of-31 from 3-point range. “They penetrated on us consistently and found open people and deserved to win the game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters of the Suns. “They were great.” Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points for his 10th 20-point outing of the campaign but power forward LaMarcus Aldridge struggled with 3-of-12 shooting while scoring a season-low six points for the second time in four contests.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (8-5): Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams was the hero against Golden State by scoring 10 of his 25 points in overtime as he quickly shook off being 3-for-16 shooting during regulation. “There would be no point for me to be on the floor if I didn’t have confidence,” Williams told reporters after scoring 20 or more points for the fifth time in the past six games. Power forward Montrezl Harrell scored 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting against Golden State and has connected on 33-of-41 attempts over the past four contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Spurs went 2-1 against the Clippers last season.

2. Los Angeles SG Avery Bradley (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday but will likely miss his fifth straight game.

3. San Antonio C Pau Gasol (foot) is expected to miss his fifth consecutive contest.

PREDICTION: Clippers 109, Spurs 102

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SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs SACRAMENTO KINGS
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 12, 2018
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: SACRAMENTO , SAN ANTONIO

Oddsmakers currently have the SACRAMENTO listed as 3 point favorites versus the SAN ANTONIO, while the game’s total is sitting at 218.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called his team soft after a loss at Miami on Wednesday, and the players responded with a gritty defensive effort in a win over Houston on Saturday. The Spurs will try to maintain that effort when they begin a three-game road trip at the Sacramento Kings on Monday.

The Spurs held the Rockets to 33.3 percent shooting in the 96-89 win, limiting them to 18 fourth-quarter points as they put the game away. San Antonio is allowing an average of 100 points in its last seven games after surrendering 121.8 in its first four contests. The Kings were lighting up the scoreboard before suffering a letdown on Saturday in a 101-86 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that marked the team’s lowest output of the season. Sacramento played that game with a haze hovering at the top of the arena due to smoke in the area from local wildfires, and the team continues to monitor the situation.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (San Antonio), NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE SPURS (7-4): San Antonio star forward LaMarcus Aldridge suffered through one of his worst games while going 2-of-14 from the floor in the loss at Miami but found his shooting stroke on Saturday. The All-Star scored 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds while playing a large part in the defensive effort that held the Rockets starting frontcourt to 5-of-16 from the floor. Spurs point guard Derrick White played his second game on Saturday after missing the first nine with a foot injury and took control of the offense with 14 points and eight assists in 30 minutes.

ABOUT THE KINGS (7-6): Sacramento went 3-1 on a road trip through the east coast but is having a more difficult time at home with losses in two of the first three games of the four-game stand. Center Willie Cauley-Stein is off to the best start of his career and is one of the few bright spots on the homestand, averaging 20.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in the last three contests. The Kings also continue to get strong efforts from second-year point guard De’Aaron Fox, who scored a team-high 21 points in Saturday’s setback and is averaging 18.7.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Spurs SF Rudy Gay (heel), C Pau Gasol (foot) and C Jacob Poeltl (ankle) are all questionable for Monday.

2. Sacramento leading scorer Buddy Hield (19.1 points) struggled to 3-of-17 from the floor on Saturday.

3. San Antonio is enjoying a 14-game winning streak in the series.

PREDICTION: Spurs 102, Kings 96

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HOUSTON ROCKETS vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS
When: 8:30 PM  ET, Saturday, November 10, 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 8:35 PM
LINE: 2.5
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as 2.5 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 211.

The Houston Rockets are one of the season’s biggest disappointments while the San Antonio Spurs were called “soft” by coach Gregg Popovich after their latest defeat. One of the teams is guaranteed to be feeling a bit better after the teams square off Saturday in San Antonio.

The Rockets used to be a vaunted offensive machine but they were dispatched 98-80 by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, marking the fifth time in seven games that they failed to reach 100 points. “Really, our offense is anemic,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters after the loss. “I mean, it’s bad. … I don’t know if we’re just sagging because we’re not believing in what we’re (doing). I don’t know. We’ve got to find the answers, but our offense right now is not very good.” The Spurs have lost back-to-back games and Popovich shook up the players after Wednesday’s 95-88 loss to the Miami Heat by tagging them with the soft label. “I don’t enjoy that. I don’t think anybody does,” San Antonio guard Bryn Forbes told reporters. “If you are a competitor, that’s one of the worst thing you can be called.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), KENS (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (4-6): Reigning MVP James Harden struggled to get free in the loss against the Thunder and scored just 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting. “It’s tough,” Harden told reporters afterward. “Anybody, any player in this league, if you’ve got open shots and they’re not falling, it’s going to mess with you a little bit. That’s where we take each other to kind of get each other out of that funk and just keep the positive energy going.” Forward Carmelo Anthony’s return to Oklahoma was a nightmare as he scored just two points on 1-of-11 shooting and his basket came on a goaltending call.

ABOUT THE SPURS (6-4): Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan is averaging 26.4 points in his first 10 games with San Antonio and he wasn’t thrilled about Popovich’s critique. “Nobody wants to have that type of label on you,” DeRozan told reporters of the “soft” tag. “Granted, we played that way last game. But it’s all about how you respond back to that. Man up. That’s motivation there and we can’t wait to play Saturday.” San Antonio shot just 33 percent in the setback with power forward LaMarcus Aldridge being a porous 2-of-14 while scoring a season-low six points.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Rockets went 3-1 against the Spurs last season after San Antonio won nine of the previous 11 meetings.

2. Houston backup SG Eric Gordon (hip) is questionable and could sit out for the fourth consecutive contest.

3. San Antonio SF Rudy Gay (heel) could miss his third straight game.

PREDICTION: Spurs 99, Rockets 96

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SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs MIAMI HEAT
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: MIAMI , SAN ANTONIO

Oddsmakers currently have the MIAMI listed as 2 point favorites versus the SAN ANTONIO, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.5.

The San Antonio Spurs had a few days to dwell on a home loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday and hope to turn their fortunes when they begin a stretch with nine of 12 on the road by visiting the Miami Heat on Wednesday. The Heat snapped a three-game slide with an overtime victory at Detroit Pistons on Monday.

San Antonio held opponents to an average of 99.8 points during a four-game winning streak but struggled to bring the same execution on that end in the 117-110 loss to Orlando. “We were a step slow on everything,” Spurs All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge told reporters. “You have nights like that. They were just moving faster than us and we were one step behind. We let that snowball into not communicating. It was just a perfect storm to be terrible on defense.” Miami snapped its three-game slide by turning it up at the defensive end, holding the Pistons to 41.3 percent from the floor while forcing 20 turnovers. “That’s what we hang our hats on,” Miami forward Justise Winslow told reporters. “We got a lot of tough guys, defensive minded guys. We just got to get back to who we are. We’re going to score enough points. But I think the big thing (Monday) was we got stops when we needed to, and it paid off.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (San Antonio), FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE SPURS (6-3): San Antonio figured to take some time to gel after adding All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan, but the former Toronto Raptor has been remarkably consistent. DeRozan is averaging 27.3 points on 51.6 percent shooting and scored at least 25 points in each of the last five contests. DeRozan is getting some help spacing the floor from point guard Patty Mills, who went 4-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first four games but is 13-of-23 in the last five contests.

ABOUT THE HEAT (4-5): Miami shooting guard Josh Richardson is taking on a larger role in the offense and scored 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting in Monday’s win – the third time in the last four games that he scored at least 27. “It’s something we all celebrated here and wanted him to do it,” veteran guard Dwyane Wade told reporters of Richardson. “It’s still impressive. The shots he was taking in overtime and making, those are big-time shots. Not a lot of players can do it that way. We want him to continue to have the confidence to take it to the next level, and we’re going to need it.” Richardson is 9-of-15 from 3-point range in the last two games and is often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best wing player.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Spurs SF Rudy Gay (heel) sat out the last game and is day-to-day.

2. Heat C Hassan Whiteside (knee) sat out Monday and is questionable for Wednesday.

3. San Antonio took each of the last 11 meetings, going back to the final three games of the 2014 NBA Finals.

PREDICTION: Spurs 115, Heat 106

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