Spurs vs. Cavaliers GAMEDAY: Can San Antonio Make it 3 Straight Wins?
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The San Antonio Spurs have won two consecutive games after ending what grew to become an 11-game winning streak. The latest was a win over the Miami Heat on their home floor. Can they keep the momentum going when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday?
There were impressive signs of potential in the Spurs' 115-111 win over the Heat. Devin Vassell proved integral in taking the tough shots down the stretch by knocking down a pair of step-back jumpers in mid-range. He finished with 18 points, while Keldon Johnson (21 points) and Romeo Langford (18 points) had an impressive outing in their own right.
"In general, the whole team did a good job," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They're behind the curve coming out every night with all the injuries, and they haven't missed a beat. They've competed really well, and we hit some timely shots (against Miami) down the stretch."
The Cavaliers last defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-102 at home in their previous game. They squandered a 17-point lead and almost lost the game, but they still managed to make up for it down the stretch to win the game.
"There's opportunities to mature in moments like this," Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "But we have to be better, like we can't continue to do the same things to ourselves, you know, and mostly through self-inflicted wounds. It says a lot that we didn't allow (the loss against Sacramento) to hang over. We had a bunch of guys step up."
INJURY REPORT (SPURS): Jeremy Sochan - QUESTIONABLE (right quad contusion), Blake Wesley - OUT (MCL sprain), Jakob Poeltl - OUT (right knee bruise), Keita Bates-Diop - OUT (foot), Dominick Barlow - OUT (G-League)
INJURY REPORT (CAVALIERS): Kevin Love - QUESTIONABLE (low back soreness), Donovan Mitchell - QUESTIONABLE (right lower leg soreness), Ricky Rubio - OUT (ACL surgery), Dylan Windler - OUT (right ankle sprain), Dean Wade - OUT (left shoulder sprain), Diakite Mamadi - OUT (G League assignment)
RECORDS: San Antonio Spurs (8-18), Cleveland Cavaliers (17-10)
WHEN: Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. CT
WHERE: AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX
TV: KENS 5, NBA League Pass
RADIO: Spurs Radio - WOAI 1200
ODDS: -7.0 Cavaliers
NEXT UP: The Spurs host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
FINAL WORD: Romeo Langford on trusting Devin Vassell as a closer.
“We have 100 percent confidence in him,” Langford said of Vassell. “We have all seen the work he put in during the summer and know what he is capable of doing. He has confidence in himself too. He’s molded himself into that (closer) role and he showed that tonight.”
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