The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are gearing up for another showdown, and this one has all the makings of a statement game. Not only are they neck-and-neck in the Western Conference standings-separated by just a single loss-but this is a rivalry with fresh wounds.
Just over a week ago, Houston erased a 16-point deficit to steal a win from Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. Now, the rematch is set, and emotions are running high.
“Houston is up there,” Wembanyama said when asked about the most physical teams they’ve faced. “The metrics say it-offensive rebounds, forcing turnovers, their game plan in general.”
"Same as usual, blowing 15-plus point leads...We're all putting our minds into it.
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 21, 2026
But, we're conscious it is a problem." ⬇️
-Victor Wembanyama following another #Spurs blown big lead, this one 16 in Houston in a 111-106 loss#PorVida#GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/ziJSkRoYnq
He’s not wrong. The Rockets have carved out a reputation for bringing a bruising, relentless style of play. And right now, that’s been a problem for San Antonio.
Physicality-or more accurately, the Spurs’ struggle with it-has become a recurring theme. Their most recent outing ended in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, a team sitting near the bottom of the standings but not lacking in toughness.
A week before that, the Oklahoma City Thunder ran the Spurs off the floor with their own brand of high-octane, physical basketball. And before that?
The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by a relentless Julius Randle, gave Wemby no room to breathe.
“Houston's another team that plays just as physical as them, maybe even more,” said Spurs guard Devin Vassell after the New Orleans loss. “So, we've got to be ready for that.”
It’s not just about getting pushed around-it’s about how the Spurs respond mentally. And that’s where Wembanyama is drawing the line.
“Yeah, it's mental, but it's not like we lack the will to do it,” he explained. “It's recognition.
Sometimes in our job, you lose sight of what actually pays off. And it's easier to lose sight of what pays off if it's something labeled as hard, like physicality.”
That’s a revealing answer from the Spurs’ young star. He’s not questioning effort-he’s talking about focus, about the little things that separate good teams from great ones.
The Rockets, like the Pelicans, Thunder, and Timberwolves before them, have figured out how to exploit San Antonio’s lapses. They throw out long, athletic lineups, they crash the boards, and they make you feel every possession.
Still, the Spurs aren’t backing down. The reigning Rookie of the Year made it clear that the team believes in their identity.
“I think just continue to play our game,” he said. “With the guards we have, we're super dynamic.
So I feel like we can play against a lot of different lineups and especially not give up anything defensively. Offensively, just sticking to the same thing that we've been doing.
Just playing our game and then forcing the defense to have to stop it.”
That confidence was on display in their last meeting with Houston, when San Antonio controlled much of the game before letting it slip away in a 111-106 loss. Wembanyama admitted that the team’s talent can sometimes be a double-edged sword.
“We have a talented basketball team and we might rely on it too much sometimes,” he said. “Our talent bails us out often, but it's shots. There's some days where you can't make shots, so you have to be able to impact the game in every other area.”
That’s the next step for this Spurs team-learning how to win when the jumper isn’t falling, when the game gets messy, and when the opponent is coming at you with everything they’ve got.
After the loss to New Orleans, which dropped San Antonio to 4-4 over their last eight, Wemby says the team took some time to regroup.
“We had two days where we set things straight between us in the video room,” he said. “We're ready.”
And with Houston on deck again, they’ll need to be. This isn’t just about standings or revenge-it’s about proving that they can match physicality with composure, and talent with toughness.
The Spurs know what’s coming. The question is: are they ready to punch back?