The San Antonio Spurs will look to build on a big win of the young season when they host the injury- and illness-depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night.
The game will be the second of a home back-to-back for the Spurs, who beat Houston 121-110 on Friday in an NBA Cup clash between the Lone Star State rivals. The victory over the Rockets snapped a two-game losing streak and was San Antonio’s second win this season against an opponent that currently has a winning record.
Harrison Barnes scored 24 points and Victor Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie had 22 each in the Friday win, with all three coming up big down the stretch. Ahead by just three points with 3:17 to play, Champagnie’s 3-pointer, a Stephon Castle putback and Wembanyama’s baseline turnaround jumper pushed the lead to eight points one minute later.
Two free throws and a steal and dunk by Barnes closed the win for the Spurs, who ended Houston’s five-game winning streak and captured their first game in the league’s in-season tournament.
Devin Vassell added 15 points, and Castle amassed 14 points and 13 assists for San Antonio. Wembanyama bounced back after two subpar games on the road, scoring 10 points in the paint and being more assertive by working for his spots on the inside.
“Vic works hard. He has the right mindset,” Castle said. ” I don’t really think we need to keep relaying the same message to him. I think he gets it, and he’ll figure it out.”
San Antonio will be bolstered by the return of All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, who missed the team’s first eight games while rehabbing a hamstring injury. He averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 17 games after the Spurs acquired him in a three-team trade from the Sacramento Kings in February.
The Pelicans roll into San Antonio with a two-game winning streak, with their most recent outing a 101-99 victory in Dallas on Wednesday. Saddiq Bey scored a season-high 22 points in the win and had a late bucket to push New Orleans’ lead from a point to 98-95 after the Mavericks had whittled away at an eight-point deficit.
Jeremiah Fears and Jose Alvarado added 13 points each, Herbert Jones hit for 12, and Derik Queen and Trey Murphy III tallied 11 apiece as the Pelicans held on to win both ends of a home-road back to back and post their second victory after opening the season with six losses.
Wednesday’s game was the first time in 14 contests dating to last season that New Orleans held an opponent to less than 100 points.
“Huge effort, huge win for our group,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. “It was preparation meets opportunity moments for our guys. It was a collective effort between the starters and the second unit. Our guys laid it all on the floor and gave it everything they had.”
Green used his seventh different starting lineup Wednesday. New Orleans will be without four players on Saturday, including Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain), Jordan Poole (left quad strain) and Yves Missi (illness).
For Williamson, it will be the fourth game he’s missed this season; the Pelicans have played just eight games. He’s expected to be out at least another week. The oft-injured Williamson played more than 30 games only twice in his first five seasons.
The teams met on Oct. 24 in New Orleans, with the Spurs outlasting the Pelicans 120-116 in overtime.
