The San Antonio Spurs enter their most important game in two years, just 20 games into the 2024-25 regular season. The Spurs will head south on Tuesday night to face the Phoenix Suns in a make-or-break NBA Cup game. The stakes are simple: win and advance. At 3-1 in group play, both teams need a win to advance to the elimination rounds and compete for the NBA Cup, and its cash prize of up to $500,000.
When asked if the money was something on the Spur’s minds heading into the game, Julian Champagnie jokingly told reporters: “For me, it’s number one.”
The young Spurs will be motivated heading into the game with a tough Suns squad. NBA All-Stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal headline Phoenix’s offensive attack that puts up 113 points per game. The Suns are in the top ten in the NBA in terms of offensive rating but in the bottom ten in terms of defensive rating. That’s an interesting clash with the Spurs, who are 13th in defensive rating and 16th in offensive rating. In a playoff-type game, the team that can get the most stops could have the advantage.
The Spurs will be helped by the return of Jeremy Sochan, who is probable to play in his first game since November 4th. However, as has been the case for much of San Antonio’s season, it’s one man in, one man out, with Tre Jones missing the game after injuring his shoulder on Sunday. At close to full health, this will be the first chance these young Spurs have at playing a game with some real stakes against a team with plenty of playoff experience.
December 3rd, 2024 | 8 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Jeremy Sochan – Probable (thumb), Riley Minix – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Tre Jones – Out (shoulder)
Suns Injuries: Bradley Beal – Probable (calf), Collin Gillespie – Out (ankle), Jusuf Nurkic – Out (thigh)
What to watch for
Bombs away
If there is one thing the Spurs and Suns have in common, it’s the reliance on the three-ball. Both teams take about 40 deep shots a game, with San Antonio shooting 35.8% from deep and the Suns hitting 37.6% of their threes. The Spurs are eighth in the league in opponent three-point percentage, allowing them to hit 34.9%, while Phoenix is 24th, allowing opponents to shoot 37.2% from three.
That’s a lot of numbers. The point is both of these squads are going to fire away from deep. San Antonio is better at defending the line, but the Suns present a unique challenge with shooters all over the floor. Getting hot from three could make or break this game for either team.
Sochan's return
The Spurs are getting a huge boost with the return of Sochan. Not only are they adding one of their best defenders while they are already playing good defense, but they get their third-leading scorer. Sochan is averaging 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3 assists in his 7 games. It’s fair to expect a bit of rust, as it sounds like Sochan just resumed full-contact activity last week. San Antonio will likely bring him off the bench, similar to what they’ve done with Devin Vassell, and put him on a minutes restriction. His energy, cutting, and defense should pay dividends in the second unit.
Victor Wembanyama in winning time
This will be Victor Wembanyama’s biggest game of his young NBA career. How will he respond to the “must-win” stakes? We’ve seen Wembanyama play well in the clutch before, including some game-winning plays in the Spurs’ last contest against the Sacramento Kings. With no Jusuf Nurkic, there should be no player capable of pushing him around inside. Wembanyama has an opportunity to show what he can do in important games with a good performance in an advantageous matchup.
Pounding the Rock will be streaming the game on Playback! Join us at this link for one of the most important games of the Spurs’ young season.
