It’s been rough for the Spurs as of late, losing their last four games that dropped their winning percentage to below .500. They are holding on to the 10th spot with a 31-33 record. What escalates their issues further is that the team below them, the New Orleans Pelicans, are now threatening to barge into the play-in tournament.
The Pelicans are only two games behind the Spurs after their win against the Golden State Warriors, and they still have six games left to play to improve their chances. That leaves the door wide open for the Spurs to fall out of the race if they can’t get their act together soon.
Utah defeated San Antonio in their previous encounter Tuesday, 110-99. The match wasn’t particularly close, as the Jazz led by 17 points at the half and maintained their double-digit lead the entire game. It was the type of listless game that concerns Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
"Poor first half, really good second half," Popovich said after the loss. "We've kind of had that personality for a lot of the year."
The Jazz were led by a dominant performance from center Rudy Gobert who registered a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds, alongside three blocks and two steals. The Spurs’ frontcourt was unable to contend with the Stifle Tower, who had his way with the opposition throughout the game.
While the Jazz are on a much safer perch, they’re still neck and neck with the Phoenix Suns in the race for the number one seed in the Western Conference. At 47-18, Utah is motivated to go hard for the remainder of the season in order to gain home court advantage for the playoffs.
It’s a must-win for the Spurs on the road. Can they put an end to their four-game losing streak and take down one of the league’s powerhouses?