Spurs vs. Raptors GAMEDAY: Can San Antonio Overcome Mounting Injury Report?
The San Antonio Spurs have gotten off to one of the more impressive starts of any team in the NBA this season. However, the injury report is starting to feature a significant amount of key players — potentially putting their momentum at risk.
The Spurs have played without Devin Vassell for their previous three games and will continue to do so when they take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. He has been sidelined due to knee soreness after having scored at least 22 points in three consecutive games before being sidelined.
Keldon Johnson had thrived playing alongside Vassell but has continued to play at a high level without him in the lineup, too. However, he will be unable to play against the Raptors, as the 23-year-old is listed as out due to right calf tightness. Johnson is averaging 23.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in seven performances — ranking within the top 20 scoring leaderboards.
The Spurs are coming off a 107-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and enter Wednesday's game riding a two-game winning streak. Johnson led the way with 25 points while Doug McDermott (23) and Keita Bates-Diop (18) chipped in 41 points.
Pascal Siakam will put the Spurs' defense to the test. He is having an All-NBA caliber season once again with averages of 26.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. He is coming off a performance with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in the Raptors' 139-109 blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. A key highlight for Toronto was their activity on defense — disrupting the passing lanes.
"The goal was to challenge every pass and try to keep pursuing every shot as well, and we did," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "We did a good job of that. There wasn't a whole lot of wide-open stuff, so we got our hands on a lot of balls.
"What did we create, 18 turnovers? And there were probably another half a dozen just-abouts where we knocked the ball away and didn't quite come away with it."
FUN FACT: The Spurs' 5-2 start is tied for the second-best record ever through seven games in team history.
INJURY REPORT (SPURS): Devin Vassell - Out (Left Knee Soreness), Keldon Johnson - Out (Right Calf Tightness), Isaiah Roby - Questionable (Flu-Like Symptoms), Jeremy Sochan - Questionable (Flu-Like Symptoms), Blake Wesley - Out (Left MCL Sprain)
INJURY REPORT (RAPTORS): Otto Porter Jr. - Probable (Personal Reasons), Fred VanVleet - Questionable (Non-COVID Illness)
RECORDS: San Antonio Spurs (5-2), Toronto Raptors (4-3)
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. CT
WHERE: AT&T Center (San Antonio, TX)
TV: Bally Sports Southwest (BSSW), NBA League Pass
RADIO: Spurs Radio - WOAI 1200
ODDS: The Mavs are currently 6-point favorites vs. the Jazz.
NEXT UP: The Spurs continue their homestand, hosting the LA Clippers on Friday night.
FINAL WORD: Keldon Johnson on shorthanded Spurs still competing.
"We got bumps and bruises, but we keep fighting," Johnson said. "We kept playing as a team. It's hard, but I feel that if you can look to the left and look to the right you see your brothers, people that you grind with all summer, in the gym constantly every day. You make it fun."
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