De’Aaron Fox will try to thrive against his former team (Photo via X)
In the third game of their five game homestand, the San Antonio Spurs host the Sacramento Kings this afternoon at the Frost Bank Center. The Spurs enter the game with a record of 8-4 after dropping the first two games of the homestand — both versus the Golden State Warriors.
The Kings are also riding a losing streak. After beginning the season 3-5, Sacramento has lost five games in a row. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are the two leading scorers for the Kings this season, averaging 24.0 points per game and 18.2 points, respectively.
Both of San Antonio’s losses against the Warriors were winnable. Unfortunately, Stephen Curry turned out to just be too unstoppable. Curry had 46 points in the first meeting and then he dropped a 49-point bomb in the second matchup (see the final grades).
Victor Wembanyama Injury Update
The bad news for the Spurs today is that Victor Wembanyama will miss his first game of the season. The Spurs have ruled him out with tightness in his calf. San Antonio hasn’t said whether Wembanyama will miss multiple games due to this injury. However, considering he was listed as questionable yesterday, that could be a sign that this isn’t a serious injury that will cause him to be sidelined for an extended period of time.
Joining Wembanyama on the sidelines will be rookie Dylan Harper. The second overall selection of the 2025 NBA Draft hasn’t played since suffering a calf strain two weeks ago.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
Head coach Mitch Johnson will need to change his starting lineup with Victor Wembanyama unavailable. The most likely scenario has Johnson starting De’Aaron Fox at point guard, Stephon Castle at shooting guard, Devin Vassell at small forward, Harrison Barnes at power forward and Luke Kornet at center.
Kornet, who the Spurs signed as a free agent this summer, is off to a very good start in Silver and Black. In five games, the 7-foot-1 center is averaging 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 22.0 minutes per game, while shooting 76.9% from the field.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Kings
Even without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are favored by 6.5 points and the over/under is 240.5 points. The smart money is on the over. San Antonio’s defense won’t be as strong with Wembanyama on the sidelines but the Spurs should still have enough firepower to put plenty of points on the board against the Kings.