Wizards Get Two Key Players Back for Spurs Game

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With the Washington Wizards set to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 18, many questions are still circulating in regard to how the rotation will look. Although it isn’t set in stone quite yet, Washington did receive very good news regarding the injury status of two starters.
BREAKING: Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly are OFF the injury report for tomorrow night’s game, per Washington’s team injury report
— SleeperWizards (@SleeperWizards) December 17, 2025
Returning to action just in time to face off against their fellow frenchman 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/FePcpf4Ooo
The Wizards fandom was informed the day before the game that center Alex Sarr and wing Bilal Coulibaly will both be returning from injury. This news came at just the right time, considering the defensive task that Washington has ahead of them.
Sarr has been dealing with a leg injury for a while now, having not played since a Nov. 28 matchup with the Indiana Pacers. He is, of course, a huge contributor for the Wizards on both sides of the ball, as he leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks. Sarr looked as if he had made the jump into stardom through the first 16 games of the season, so getting him back will be pivotal for their success versus San Antonio.

Coulibaly's Recent Injuries
Coulibaly, on the other hand, has dealt with his fair share of injuries all season. He opened the year still sidelined from a thumb surgery that he got in the summer — only returning for a handful of games before once again hitting the injury report for a calf contusion.
Following his recovery from the calf contusion, Coulibaly remained healthy for nearly a month of play before, once again, finding himself on the injury report — this time for an oblique strain. It goes without saying that Coulibaly is a very valuable piece to the Wizards rotation, specifically on the defensive end, where he brings point-of-attack defense that is unmatched by any other Wizard.

Wizards Still Missing Rotational Pieces
Washington will still be without wings Khris Middleton and Corey Kispert, as they too are dealing with their fair share of injury problems. However, having two key rotation players back will mean a lot in regard to the Wizards’ chances at beating the Spurs.
San Antonio is fresh off of playing in the NBA Cup, giving them a far shorter turnaround in comparison to Washington’s four-day break. The odds are still heavily stacked against the Wizards, considering they will likely enter this game as double-digit underdogs.
However, Washington is riding the tails their fourth win of the season and could continue to build upon that momentum with returning contributors, possibly propelling them to the upset win.
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Owen Jury is currently a writer for Sports Illustrated. Jury is a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying journalism. At Missouri, he covers men’s golf and basketball for a student-run publication called The Maneater. Jury is still figuring out what his end goal is, but he is definitely excited about his future in journalism.