The Spurs are rolling into Friday with a chance to keep the streak alive, but the task in front of them comes with a twist: the Golden State Warriors will be without Steph Curry.
San Antonio just survived a wild one against the Chicago Bulls, erasing a 22-point first-half hole and winning 124-119. Victor Wembanyama led the charge with 32 points, nine rebounds, two steals and five blocks.
Dylan Harper added 18 points, 10 assists and four steals, while De’Aaron Fox kept the offense moving with 17 points, nine assists and three steals. Julian Champagnie started and chipped in 12 points and two steals, and Stephon Castle finished with 11 points, two steals and strong defense.
The bench and the rest of the rotation did their part, too. Keldon Johnson posted 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Carter Bryant got another real opportunity with Devin Vassell out.
In 15 minutes, the sophomore scored 10 points and shot 57% from the field. The Spurs needed all of it.
Afterward, Wembanyama described the locker room mindset after falling behind early: "Focused. Not worried, but appropriately concerned.
At some point ... sometimes it's a moment like this where you just have to do it. Saying it doesn't really mean anything."
That kind of response has helped fuel San Antonio’s growth, and now the Spurs get a meaningful test in NBA Cup group play. Friday is the second of four nights where games count toward the tournament standings, and the stakes are clear: the Warriors sit first in the West in the Cup, while the Spurs are second.
Golden State comes in battered, though. Curry will miss at least a month after sustaining an injury against the Rockets, and the Warriors will also be without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Brandon Williams and Kristaps Porzingis for Friday’s game. Curry’s absence is the biggest blow by far; he had been Golden State’s offensive centerpiece for years before the torn oblique sidelined him.
Even with the injuries, the Warriors have been one of the league’s hottest teams. Before Wednesday night’s loss to Houston, they were riding an eight-game winning streak, and they still have enough pieces to make this a serious challenge for San Antonio.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been one of the bright spots, and against Houston he put up 25 points and 10 rebounds. Brandin Podziemski added 22 points and six rebounds, and both will need to carry more of the scoring load with Curry out. Draymond Green remains central to everything Golden State does, bringing defense, playmaking and veteran presence to a team still trying to make a playoff push.
The Warriors will also lean on Al Horford, Georges Niang, De’Anthony Melton, Will Richard, Gui Santos and L.J. Cryer to fill in the gaps.
San Antonio has injury issues of its own. Devin Vassell is questionable, and Tobias Harris remains out. Still, the Spurs have shown that their depth can hold up when the rotation gets thin.
That depth will matter again Friday, especially against a Golden State team looking to rebound from the Houston loss while trying to stay near the top of the NBA Cup standings. The tournament angle adds another layer, and so does the history between these two teams in this format.
Last year, the Spurs ran into the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Final, and San Antonio wants revenge in this competition. The Warriors, meanwhile, are chasing the same thing after being beaten in the Cup before.
There’s also the matchup inside the matchup: Wembanyama against Green. The two had a physical run-in last November, when they battled for position under the basket.
Wembanyama answered with a one-handed alley-oop dunk over Green off an inbound pass from Stephon Castle, though the basket didn’t count because Green was called for a foul before the shot. Words followed, and Friday gives them another chance to meet in the paint.
Green has made a career out of defensive versatility, but handling a 7-foot-4 scorer who can attack from anywhere on the floor is a different kind of problem. For Golden State, there’s no one-for-one answer to replace Curry’s production. The Warriors will need everyone to chip in if they want to keep pace.
And for Bryant, this is another opening to make his case. Mitch Johnson has already pointed out how crowded the roster is, saying, "We got a lot of guys.
There’s not enough minutes to go around," and adding, "I just need him to keep doing what he’s doing. Just continue to stay with the process."
Johnson also acknowledged that young players can do everything asked of them and still have trouble cracking the rotation. Bryant has another shot to show he belongs in a game that matters.
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