Dylan Harper will have a bigger role versus the Jazz (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs have won eight games in a row. Tonight, the Silver and Black host the Utah Jazz with an aim to increase their winning streak to nine games. The Spurs enter the contest with a record of 23-7, while the Jazz sit at 11-19.
San Antonio’s latest win was a very, very impressive victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day (see the Final Grades). It was the team’s third win over the Thunder in less than two weeks. Suddenly, the two seeded Spurs are only 2.5 games behind OKC in the Western Conference standings.
The Jazz are currently the 12th seed in the West. Utah is coming off of a win over the Detroit Pistons.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
Unfortunately, there is a new player on the injury report for the Spurs. De’Aaron Fox will miss tonight’s game versus the Jazz with adductor tightness. The good news is that the franchise has indicated that Fox won’t be sidelined for long. In fact, there is hope that the game against Utah is the only contest the star guard will be forced to miss.
Fox is coming off of a great game on Christmas Day against the Thunder. In 33 minutes, he had 29 points, four rebounds and three assists. He shot 12-for-19 from the field, 3-for-4 from three-point land and 2-for-2 at the free throw line.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
There are a couple big changes to San Antonio’s starting five. First of all, Julian Champagnie will start in place of the injured De’Aaron Fox. That move keeps Dylan Harper in a reserve role while allowing Champagnie to start, which he is accustomed to doing.
The even bigger news is that Victor Wembanyama is back in the starting lineup. Wembanyama had been coming off the bench recently in order to allow the coaching staff to manage his minutes restriction. With the 7-foot-5 center back in the opening fivesome, that moves Luke Kornet back to the bench.
The other three starters will be Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Harrison Barnes.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Jazz
The Spurs are favored by 14.5 points and the over/under is 244.5 points. The smart money is on the over. San Antonio is playing great basketball and the Jazz are on the second night of a back-to-back. Those two considerations combined should result in a big win for the Spurs.