The San Antonio Spurs can’t catch a break - on or off the court.
After a tough 111-106 loss to the surging Charlotte Hornets on Saturday afternoon, the Spurs were hoping to head home and regroup. Instead, they're stuck in Charlotte thanks to a winter storm that’s thrown a wrench into their travel plans and delayed their return to the Alamo City.
That weather hiccup has a ripple effect. The NBA has officially pushed back the start time for Sunday’s home game against the Orlando Magic.
Originally scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT tip, the game will now tip off at 6 p.m., giving the Spurs a little more breathing room - but not much.
This wasn’t entirely unexpected. In fact, the league tried to get ahead of the storm by moving Saturday’s game against Charlotte up by three hours.
The goal was to get the game in and the Spurs out before the worst of the weather hit. The first part worked - the game was played - but the second part?
Not so much. San Antonio was forced to stay overnight in Charlotte, grounded by snow.
It’s a fitting end to what’s been a rocky January for the Spurs. The loss to the Hornets was another reminder of the team’s growing pains - flashes of competitiveness, but not quite enough to close out games. And now, they’re dealing with a literal storm on top of the metaphorical one.
For a young team trying to build rhythm and consistency, these kinds of disruptions don’t help. But delays, losses, and weather chaos are all part of the grind of an NBA season. The Spurs will have to shake it off quickly, because the Magic are coming to town - and they won’t be bringing snow, just another tough matchup.