Welcome to Week in Review: a Monday feature that looks back at the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a look at the week ahead, and more. Enjoy!
Week 17: The Spurs started off the Rodeo Road Trip by sweeping a couple of games against injured Lakers and Warriors teams to head into the All-Star break riding a six-game winning streak. They then had a big showing at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, leaving their mark all over the state of California.
Week 18: 2-0 (40-16, 2nd in West)
121-94 win vs. Phoenix Suns (in Austin)
Already missing Dillon Brooks to suspension for receiving his 16th technical of the season, the Suns then lost Devin Booker to hip soreness at halftime, leaving a shorthanded Phoenix team reeling against a Spurs squad that picked up right where they left off after the All-Star break. The Spurs weren’t their most efficient selves in the first half but played well enough to build a sizeable lead, and by the third quarter the offense was back on a roll, turning the fourth quarter into extended garbage time at the Moody Center.
139-122 win vs. Sacramento Kings (in Austin)
Facing the team with the worst record in the NBA and on a 15-game losing streak, the Spurs’ good old friend Complacency gave them a visit. After a dominant start to the game, they took their foot off the gas for a while, allowing the depleted Kings to get as close three late in the third quarter quarter before once again flipping the switch and turning a close game against an inferior opponent into a fourth-quarter blowout.
Power Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 2 (last week: 2)
OffRtg: 117.3 (6) DefRtg: 110.7 (3) NetRtg: +6.6 (4) Pace: 101.0 (13)
The Spurs remain undefeated (8-0) in February, having won their two games in Austin handily. All eight wins have been by nine points or more, with the last four coming by an average of 21.3.
Three takeaways
1. The first two games of this eight-game winning streak were somewhat ugly, but the Spurs have scored a remarkably efficient 127.2 points per 100 possessions over the last six. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper still aren’t making a lot of 3s, but they’ve combined to shoot 63-for-91 (69%) inside the arc over these last six games.
2. The Spurs have won their last six games against teams that are currently over .500 and have the second-best record (19-11) within that group overall. They’re four games into a stretch where they’re playing eight of 10 against winning teams, and the team with the league’s best record (and the best record against other winning teams) is up next.
3. The game in Detroit on Monday will probably be won or lost inside. While the Pistons have outscored their opponents in the paint in 32 of their last 33 games, the Spurs have outscored their opponents by an average of 18.3 points in the paint over their eight-game winning streak. Victor Wembanyama has been playing bigger (offensively) of late, taking 57% of his shots in the paint over the last 10 games, up from just 33% over his previous eight.Coming up: The Spurs have the league’s best record (14-3) in interconference games and now embark on their longest road trip of the season (five games over nine days), which includes visits to four of the top six teams in the East. Wembanyama has played just one career game (fewest against any opponent) against the first-place Pistons, who the Spurs will face twice in the next 11 days.
Law Murray, The Athletic — 2 (last week: 2)
Post All-Star break: We have a third 40 before 20 team! And it is the Spurs, a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the pandemic. The Spurs defense was on point against the Phoenix Suns, and then Victor Wembanyama lit up the Kings.
Brett Siegel, Clutch Points — 1 (last week: 1)
With the Cavs losing on Sunday, the San Antonio Spurs are the only team with a win streak longer than six games, as they have now won eight straight and are undefeated in February.
Victor Wembanyama continues to impress, with six double-doubles this month and six games with three or more blocks. As long as Wemby, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox are healthy heading into the final stretch run of the season, the Spurs have a strong chance at potentially catching the Thunder for the 1-seed in the West.
Coming up: Mon. 2/23 at Detroit Pistons (42-13); Wed. 2/25 at Toronto Raptors (34-23); Thurs. 2/26 at Brooklyn Nets (15-41); Sun. 3/1 at New York Knicks (37-21)
Prediction: 3-1 — This is not your big brother’s Eastern Conference. Other than the Nets, the Spurs are playing three of the top 5 teams in the East this week, beginning with the a Pistons team that has the best record in the NBA in what should be a strength-on-strength match-up, followed by a better-than-expected Raptors team and a Knicks squad that has been hovering around .500 in 2026, but MSG tends to be one of those cursed places for the Spurs (although at this point, they’d say the same of San Antonio). That being said, if the Spurs win tonight, which I whole heartedly believe they can, amend this prediction to 4-0, the Spurs getting their first double-digit winning streak since the 2016-17 season (which would just require also beating the Raptors), and an undefeated February.