Six games in a row, guys. I repeat, the Chicago Bulls have sent the Spurs packing with a loss in six consecutive meetings. They're an Eastern Conference team, so San Antonio only plays them a couple of times a year, so that means Victor Wembanyama has yet to walk away from a Chi-Town matchup with a win. It's time to end that ridiculous streak.
The Spurs used to be the kings of winning streaks over teams
The Bulls have been an okay team over the past two seasons, but they haven't been a juggernaut by any means. The Silver and Black have knocked off some of the best teams in the league since Wemby has been in uniform—OKC, Denver, Milwaukee, the list goes on—but for whatever reason, they've struggled with crimson cattle lately.
I long for the days when the Spurs were dominating teams with some of the longest winning streaks against one team in NBA history. SA is tied with three other teams for the seventh-longest winning streak vs. a single opponent of all time. They had 21 straight wins over the Memphis Grizzlies from 1997 to 2003.
The Wizards famously took more than 20 years to beat Coach Popovich in their own building, losing consistently in Washington, D.C., from 1999 to 2022. That's not where it ends, either. The Spurs had 18-game winning streaks over the Clippers, Jazz, and Celtics; they have a straight-up 17-game streak over the Wizards and a string of 16 straight over the Warriors, Timberwolves, Warriors again, and the Mavericks.
Six in a row is a far cry from those historic streaks, but two in a row is too many for a competitor. Those teams couldn't do anything about it because there was simply too much greatness on the other side, and their organizations couldn't get it together enough to put forth a worthy opponent. That's not what's going on here, though. Sometimes, teams just have your number until you put an end to it.
I can't imagine that not happening tonight, despite how surprisingly well the Bulls have been playing. Spurs fans will get a chance to see Tre Jones in action for the first time this season. He's been playing well for the Eastern Conference's fourth seed, and he is a key part of their 6-3 start to the season.
Zach Collins won't be in uniform, though. He had surgery to address a wrist injury, and he's yet to debut this year. The former Spurs center may be returning soon, according to CBS Sports, but that time hasn't come yet. Reunions aside, there should be an added layer of motivation for the guys because their most recent two matchups left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
The last time San Antonio played the Bulls (January 6, 2025), they led for three quarters but lost by four points because they were outscored 32-15 in the final 12 minutes of the game. It was one of the most disappointing losses of the year. In the meeting before that one, the Spurs gave up 139 points to them and lost by 15. I'm sure they remember that, so I expect they'll play like it.