Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons
Yesterday at 03:00 AM
The Spurs look to extend their winning streak against the tough Pistons.
The San Antonio Spurs are playing some of their best basketball right now. The team is on its second three-game winning streak of the season, this time without their two stars, Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox. The team has rallied late in the season to finish strong. Their three-game winning streak has come mostly against other tanking or injured teams. Tuesday's game with the Detroit Pistons will be a real test.
The Pistons are 6th in the Eastern Conference with a rock-solid defense and an average offense. They like to play fast (top-5 in the NBA in pace) and don't back down to any opponent. Notably, their All-Star, Cade Cunningham, is questionable for Tuesday's game with a calf contusion. Without Cunningham, the Pistons will rely on their scrappy young core, much like the Spurs.
San Antonio is three games out of the 10th seed with 12 games to go. A win against Detroit and a four-game winning streak would keep them in contention for a Play-In spot. The Spurs still have some fight left in them, and they'll need it against the Pistons.
San Antonio Spurs (31-39) at Detroit Pistons (40-32)
March 25th, 2025 | 6 PM CT
Watch: Fan Duel Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Stephon Castle – Questionable (knee), Victor Wembanyama – Out (shoulder), Charles Bassey – Out (knee), De'Aaron Fox – Out (finger), Riley Minix – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G Leauge), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League)
Pistons Injuries: Cade Cunningham – Questionable (calf), Tim Hardaway Jr. – Questionable (ankle), Ron Harper Jr. – Out (G League), Jaden Ivey – Out (fibula), Daniss Jenkins – Out (G Leauge), Bobi Klintman – Out (G League), Tolu Smith – Out (G League)
What to watch for:
Physicality
The Pistons aren't quite the Bad Boys, but they are close. Ron Holland, Isaiah Stewart, and the rest of Detroit play tough, physical basketball that can get under the skin of their opponents. San Antonio has to meet that force. It would not be shocking to see a Jeremy Sochan scuffle or two against this team. The Spurs need to hold their own in the paint and on the boards against Detroit to stay in the game.
Knocking down threes
The Pistons defensive weakness comes at the three-point line. They are in the bottom half of the league in opponent three-point percentage and threes allowed. San Antonio has done a good job during their winning streak of spreading teams out and knocking down shots with their small-ball approach. Detroit can play small and fast, too, but they will give up some of the paint aggression that makes them so dangerous defensively. Knocking down some deep shots should spread out the Pistons and give the Spurs an edge.
Sochan holds the line
The Spurs' third-year Swiss army man has a tall task on his hands against Detroit. He'll have to deal with Jalen Duren and Stewart on the interior as San Antonio's de facto center. He's done a good job of competing with other tough big men like Karl Anthony-Towns in the past. Another bigger-than-his-body performance would be just what the Spurs need to compete with the Pistons.
