点击查看原文：Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns

Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns

The Spurs and the Suns take another pull on the end-of-season slot machine

I’m going to be straight with you, folks. There’s absolutely no telling how this is going to go.

I’ve written a lot of previews at this point. Eight seasons worth of previews. And in eight seasons of covering the team in one capacity or another, I’ve rarely been at such a loss when it comes to predicting an outcome.

Sure, there have been times where I’ve been deeply uninvested and therefore uninterested in predicting an outcome. But if you’d put a gun to my head, I would have been able to at least hazard a guess.

Not so on this occasion. I genuinely have no clue. You couldn’t get me to put odds on this contest under threat of bodily harm. If I were bookie, I would simply close up shop.

There are simply too many variables.

On the one hand, the Suns are spiraling in a way that’s almost awe inspiring. They’ve lost eight games in a row. They’re 12th in the league in offensive rating in spite of rarely having all three of their offensive stars available. They’re 5th in True Shooting Percentage, 6th in Effective Field Goal Percentage, 6th in Assist Percentage, 5th in assist ratio, 3rd in 3pt Percentage, and 7th in 3-Pointers Made.

And yet, they have a negative net rating for the season. In fact, their net rating as a team is lower than San Antonio’s. That’s how bad their defense has been.

They’re 27th in Defensive Rating, 24th in Effective Field Goal Percentage Allowed to Opponents, 28th in Opponent Turnover Percentage, 26th in Opponent Fast Break Points, 20th in Points Allowed to Opponents Off Turnovers, 29th in Turnovers Forced, and 19th in Free Throws Allowed.

The Suns score 113.8 points per game. They allow 117 per game.

Rarely has a team been so offensively gifted and so defensively abysmal in the same season, even if we limited the scope to just the history of the Phoenix Suns, and that’s saying something.

The Spurs, on the other hand, have been giving good teams hell over the last ten games or so. They’ve pushed the Cavaliers to the max twice, beaten the Warriors and Nuggets, and kept it close against the Celtics and Clippers.

The team has pride and moxie, even at the end of a lost season.

However, the Spurs now need to lose one their last two games to keep their current lottery odds. And the Suns need to snap a lengthy losing streak, for sanity’s sake if nothing else.

And yet, having finally been eliminated from the postseason, the Suns may opt to shut it all down. Fans and writers are already in favor of such a decision. Limiting the chance for injury seems like a good idea at this point.

And maybe it would be, if not for Phoenix owing their 1st round pick to the Houston Rockets. The Suns still have a chance to worsen Houston’s odds with a win or two.

And, of course, there’s been some stirring about the injured Kevin Durant potentially playing in the final contests of the season. Presumptively to help his trade value, which necessitates top-form performances from one of the greatest NBA scorers of all time, and that feels like that might also shift the odds.

Both teams might play for pride. Both might pack it in.

I can easily see a scenario where the Spurs save their one remaining win for the last game of the season. I can also easily see a scenario where the Suns pull all of their stars.

I can even see a scenario where an asteroid randomly collides with the earth, sends everything back to the Mesozoic Era, and the game is played by actual basketball-wielding raptors. How cool would that be?!

You know what they say: every time an asteroid hits an autist gets their wings.

In any case, for the love of all that’s holy, please do not bet on this game. I’m honestly not sure you should even watch it. The very concept is upsetting. If I look at something like that for too long, I’m worried I’ll go blind.

That’s why I’m going to let good ‘ol Bill Schoening do it for me, for old time’s sake.

I suggest you do the same.

San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns

April 11th, 2025 | 9:00 CT

Watch: KENS5 | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Victor Wembanyama - Out (Regenerating Kaiju), DeAaron Fox - Out (Hand), Jeremy Sochan - Day-to-Day (Back)

Suns Injuries: Nick Richards - Day-to-Day (Elbow), Kevin Durant - Day-to-Day (Pride)

For the Suns’ fans’ perspective, please visit Bright Side Of The Sun.

PtR’s Game thread will be up this evening for those who want to chat through the game. You can also follow along with the action through PtR’s Twitter feed.