The Spurs defeated the Suns 121-94 in their last matchup (Feb. 19) behind Victor Wembanyama's 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
The San Antonio Spurs (51-18, 2nd in Western Conference) host the Phoenix Suns (39-30, 7th in Western Conference) on Thursday at Frost Bank Center (8 p.m. ET, League Pass).
The Spurs have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the All-Star break and enter this game on the heels of a three-game winning streak, after a 134-102 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. The Suns are on the opposite spectrum, and while they remain alive in the race for a Play-In berth, they head to San Antonio following three losses in a row after a 116-104 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Here are three key storylines to know heading into tonight's matchup:
1. How can the Suns slow Victor Wembanyama down?: The short answer here would be they can't, but the data also supports the idea that it's increasingly hard to slow Wembanyama down. There are no players in the league who can match Wembanyama's impact on offense, as he's accurate from three-point range (35.1 percent from deep since the All-Star break) but also on the inside. Wembanyama is averaging 23.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 4.0 blocks and 1.1 steals in 14 contests since the All-Star break. The Suns will have to play a perfect game defensively, both individually and in coverage, to minimize Wembanyama's impact.
2. Devin Booker's scoring surge: Booker scored 34 points in Tuesday's loss to the Timberwolves, marking the sixth time he eclipsed the 30-point plateau over his last seven appearances. It was also his eighth straight game with at least 27 points, but the Suns have gone just 4-4 over that stretch. Booker's numbers are even more impressive considering he's doing this after missing four consecutive games prior, and 12 of 15 between Jan. 25 and Feb. 26. Booker has always been a premium scorer, but having him play at this level is certainly a positive sign for a Suns team ranking 18th in offensive rating this season — and 20th after the All-Star break. The Suns will need Booker to keep up this scoring tear to move forward in the playoff push. Luckily, that's a familiar role for the five-time All-Star.
3. Can the Spurs catch the Thunder?: What a turnaround this season has been in the Alamo City. San Antonio missed the playoffs entirely in the 2024-25 campaign, and while they were expected to contend for a playoff berth in 2025-26, few foresaw a legitimate push for the top spot in the West. There are a couple of reasons to believe the Spurs could eventually overtake the Thunder. First off, the Spurs rank first in the league in offensive rating (121.4), second in net rating (12.3), third in assist percentage (70.3) and first in assist ratio (21.4) since the All-Star break. Their offense is flowing, and the Thunder's isn't — they rank outside of the Top 10 in each of those metrics except net rating (5th) in that span, though that's boosted by their elite defense (best in the NBA). If the Thunder continue to stumble offensively, and the Spurs continue the pace that has seen them go 13-2 since the All-Star break, we could have a shakeup atop the Western Conference Standings.
