San Antonio won a second straight game against the defending Eastern Conference champions, outscoring them 67-41 in the second half.
SAN ANTONIO — Because the Spurs’ roster is in its best shape yet to shape the team’s first preseason push since the 2018-19 season, fans of the Silver & Black will glean whatever meaning they can from the fact the team went undefeated in the preseason.
Or, they’ll just yearn for that conversation with fellow Spurs faithful so that the Oct. 22 regular season opener in Dallas arrives that much faster.
Whatever the case, it could be some kind of sign that a franchise not entirely unfamiliar with cosmic fate (at least on Draft Lottery night) capped an undefeated preseason run with Friday’s 133-104 win over the Indiana Pacers at Frost Bank Center. According to team officials, it’s the first time the San Antonio Spurs didn’t lose a tune-up game.
But anyone really looking for signs need only look at the highlights from Friday.
They came early and often, starting with Devin Vassell’s alley-oop to Stephon Castle in the opening minute that had the reigning Rookie of the Year beaming upon his return to Earth.
A 3-pointer from Victor Wembanyama provided the flourish to a sterling first quarter that ended with the Spurs ahead, 39-28. The 21-year-old center finished with 17 points on a 7-of-9 shooting performance to go along with 12 rebounds and four blocks in 24 minutes.
Castle proceeded to show off more in the second quarter, hitting a dagger 3 to put the Spurs back ahead when Indiana managed to close the gap. For good measure, Area 51 connected for a Wemby slam over a leaping Pacer.
“Just pushing the pace as much as I can, just reading the game,” Castle said after the game. “I think having a year under my belt helped too, just able to slow everything down and process stuff.”
San Antonio as up 66-63 at halftime but slammed the door in the second half, outscore Indiana 67-41 in the latter two frames to win big. They ended up with their second-largest win of the preseason, and their largest when facing NBA opponents.
“It felt like everyone was playing as a team and having fun,” Wembanyama said of Friday’s matchup, adding the team’s undefeated preseason shows that the Spurs’ “second and third units have been present and (done) a great job.”
The Spurs trotted out a lineup of Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Vassell, Castle and Wemby, which could be the starting five head coach Mitch Johnson goes with when San Antonio starts the regular season Wednesday in Dallas; De’Aaron Fox is expected to be out until early November and Jeremy Sochan will also be unavailable. Asked after the game if he has his starters locked down, Johnson said, “I have not gotten that far yet.”
Regardless of what’s written in the stars for the Spurs this year, the constellation begins taking shape when they tip off against the Mavericks on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.