Game Thread Spurs (40-16) vs Pistons (42-13) (Mon 02/23/26) [6:00 PM CST] on Peacock

[Paramore]

 

[Robz4000]

Thank you. You, @BatManu20 , @LeBowen and everyone else have made this a very enjoyable site. The knowledge, the fandom and banter have been great.

couldn't imagine having to try to navigate this season if we were all still on ST during the time's its actually up tbh...

 

[Fabbs]

Anyone know where the thread Over Under wins by Vegas went?

Any who put cash on Spurs about to get paid.
Surprisingly UTAH is also about to pay (18)

 

[Snake Eyes]

The media doesn’t seem to be giving Victor any love whatsoever for MVP. Suddenly, I guess they think San Antonio has this amazing team and he is just along for the ride or whatever. It’s bullshit.

I sort of hope he does not get much love. This will light a fire under Victor and he will respond.

 

[Chinook]

Wonder if @Chinook has come around

I don't believe the Spurs will win a championship this year (though obviously I'd love to be wrong). But my skepticism about the team winning had more to do with my resistance to folks wanting to make a big trade to "win now". I believe the Spurs aren't a player away from winning. They are development away from winning. If that development comes mid-season and the Spurs win it all, that validates my stance that the Spurs should not have made a major trade for another piece. I was not (and am still not) against the team making a small move to add some front-court depth. I was cool with using seconds and Sochan/McLaughlin to bring a guy in. But I did NOT want them to make a move for a guy like Murphy because I didn't think he was going to make the difference this year. Either the Spurs figure it out and end up not needing him, or they show they're not ready. I didn't see a scenario where the guys were too young, BUT a role-player carries them.

I really enjoyed that the guys were able to handle the increased physicality and fight for the win. That shows growth. But the Pistons (whom I'm not convinced will come out of the East this year) were missing their other physical big, which could have been a swing factor in a game where Duren got early foul trouble. The Spurs spent most of the game at a sizable rebound deficit despite this, lost the turnover battle and missed too many free throws. In a single game, on the road against a very good team on a hot streak, you don't complain. Good teams find a way to win, and ugly wins count just as much. But I'm not sure I'd feel great about the team's chances in a hypothetical series against the Pistons. The hard-fought stat lines by Wemby, Castle and Fox feel closer to the norm for that series than Vassell and Champ getting 45 points off 12-19 from three. I wish their home match against Detroit were next game rather than next week.

 

[Area 51.247]

K Incredible victory. Yes, Vassell and the game of his life. Victor was incredible, but we won the game when Bryant came in and got his hands dirty, bringing obscene physicality. He fought fire with fire.

And laughed about it to Holland when they went back and forth. Didn't back down.

 

[wemvp]

Second straight game one stat short of a 4 x 5 game!

Gotta admit I first read that as "one shat short"

 

[Robz4000]

Was also huge the Spurs won tonight since the rematch is the first game after the RRT; teams historically struggle in the first home game after a long road trip tbh.

 

[wemvp]

I think this is the game where we all realized, Spurs fans included, that this team can legitimately win a championship this year.

It always comes down to the shooting. The defense travels game to game. When this team shoots the 3 well they dont lose

 

[spurraider21]

Vibes are immaculate right now

 

[Area 51.247]

Let’s give some props to Jules as well. 17 pts on 50% with 6 rbs. I love him in the starting lineup and it’s time to rework his contract in the summer. He is quite valuable.

Maybe Justin (his twin) is a low cost candidate for the bench PF slot behind Julian.

 

[wemvp]

Pistons are a lower talent and lower IQ team than the Spurs it seems.

Hadn't seen them this season but knew they were leading the east putting up a killer record.

I was surprised they don't have much real skill outside of Cunningham. Duren is very good but seems to thrive mostly on physicality and aggression. Their perimeter guys aren't good shooters, at least tonight.

Maybe it was just the Spurs locked them down and made them look less skilled.

 

[bozhemoi]

Pistons are a lower talent and lower IQ team than the Spurs it seems. Unreal how far we've come since letting go of "the kids."

Once again I have no idea what on earth people mean when they say 'low IQ' nowadays.

 

[scott]

I don't believe the Spurs will win a championship this year (though obviously I'd love to be wrong). But my skepticism about the team winning had more to do with my resistance to folks wanting to make a big trade to "win now". I believe the Spurs aren't a player away from winning. They are development away from winning. If that development comes mid-season and the Spurs win it all, that validates my stance that the Spurs should not have made a major trade for another piece. I was not (and am still not) against the team making a small move to add some front-court depth. I was cool with using seconds and Sochan/McLaughlin to bring a guy in. But I did NOT want them to make a move for a guy like Murphy because I didn't think he was going to make the difference this year. Either the Spurs figure it out and end up not needing him, or they show they're not ready. I didn't see a scenario where the guys were too young, BUT a role-player carries them.

I really enjoyed that the guys were able to handle the increased physicality and fight for the win. That shows growth. But the Pistons (whom I'm not convinced will come out of the East this year) were missing their other physical big, which could have been a swing factor in a game where Duren got early foul trouble. The Spurs spent most of the game at a sizable rebound deficit despite this, lost the turnover battle and missed too many free throws. In a single game, on the road against a very good team on a hot streak, you don't complain. Good teams find a way to win, and ugly wins count just as much. But I'm not sure I'd feel great about the team's chances in a hypothetical series against the Pistons. The hard-fought stat lines by Wemby, Castle and Fox feel closer to the norm for that series than Vassell and Champ getting 45 points off 12-19 from three. I wish their home match against Detroit were next game rather than next week.

Thanks for the reply. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment on the kinds of moves the Spurs should be looking to make. I always found the interest in a big addition like Murphy to be a bit unrealistic in terms of roster construction.

 

[spursistan]

60 wins is in play if they push for it. Need to go 19-6 rest of the way, which is doable.

For now, i just want the first 10-game winning streak of the Wemby era. Something that not even Jokic or Doncic has done so far in their careers.

 

[Dbreiden83080]

60 wins is in play if they push for it. Need to go 19-6 rest of the way, which is doable.

For now, i just want the first 10-game winning streak of the Wemby era. Something that not even Jokic or Doncic has done so far in their careers.

Let’s get it!

 

[SanAnSpursFan21]

60 wins is in play if they push for it. Need to go 19-6 rest of the way, which is doable.

For now, i just want the first 10-game winning streak of the Wemby era. Something that not even Jokic or Doncic has done so far in their careers.

Whaaaaat. That’s mind blowing.

 

[Millennial_Messiah]

Whaaaaat. That’s mind blowing.

Load management era, dramatic baseball-increase in parity since covid, and the relative apathy of regular season accomplishments since the 73-9 GSW season failed in 2016

 

[Chinook]

It's really mind-blowing because the Spurs used to get 10-win streaks annually during the Duncan era. If they beat Toronto and Brooklyn the next two games, they also secure a winning road record. That's another thing the Duncan Spurs used to do every year that we took for granted.

 

[wemvp]

Whaaaaat. That’s mind blowing.

The Doncic one doesnt surprise me because when you're defensively challenged it's hard to pull off 10 straight killer offensive performances in a row.

The Jokic one is surprising. Especially as good as that roster has been in recent years.

 

[Millennial_Messiah]

It's really mind-blowing because the Spurs used to get 10-win streaks annually during the Duncan era. If they beat Toronto and Brooklyn the next two games, they also secure a winning road record. That's another thing the Duncan Spurs used to do every year that we took for granted.

I don't think we had a 10 game winning streak in 2009 or 2010... lean years

 

[gilmor2002]

Pistons are a good team, but nowhere near top Western teams. Joke conference, tbh.
If Tatum comes back and is at like 80%, Celtics are making the finals.

Tatum vs Wemby would be a great watch

 

[Paramore]

 

[Spurminator]

I'm so fucking proud of this team

 

[Paramore]