NBA Power Rankings: Spurs' Winless Road Trip Fuels Further Drop
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The San Antonio Spurs are riding a five-game losing streak and have only won two games since the beginning of the new year.
In their previous outing, the Spurs nearly snapped their recent slide by sending the Phoenix Suns to overtime. However, San Antonio proved unable to hang on as they lost 128-118. The most recent victory the Spurs achieved was a 106-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 17 without Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving in the lineup.
The Spurs' recent slide is also reflected in this week's power rankings from Sports Illustrated. The team dropped two spots from No. 27 to 29. The lack of success in their previous four games was a key factor, losing by at least nine points in each.
The Spurs dropped all four games last week by at least nine points. A fruitless three-game road trip began Monday in Portland with a 20-point blowout, then San Antonio headed to Los Angeles, where it lost to the Lakers by nine and the Clippers by 38. It took a fourth-quarter comeback to force overtime against the Suns, but the Spurs still fell by 10 at home. Keldon Johnson was San Antonio’s top scorer in each game, which included 34 points against Phoenix, and rookie Jeremy Sochan went for a career-best 30 in that game as well.
It's difficult enough for the Spurs to win on a consistent basis even when at full strength. Being without Devin Vassell makes it all the more challenging. He often provided a needed volume scoring punch alongside Keldon Johnson in the few wins that San Antonio has this season. Vassell remains sidelined after arthroscopic knee surgery after dealing with season-long knee soreness.
Right now, the focus for the Spurs is on player development, as has been the case throughout their 2022-23 campaign. Jeremy Sochan, who scored a carer-high 30 points against the Suns, is a prime display of a rookie reaping the benefits of this approach.
“They’re learning quick how roller coaster a season can be, especially early on in their career,” Spurs guard Tre Jones said. “You can have two rough games and it feels like it’s the end of the world, then come back and have two great games and forget all about it.”
The Spurs will have three opportunities to snap their losing streak this week at home. But it won't be easy. Tonight, the red-hot Washington Wizards, winners of their last five games, come to town. Then, the Sacramento Kings will pay the Spurs a visit on Wednesday before the Philadelphia 76ers come through town for their annual visit.
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