San Antonio Spurs (4-0) vs. Miami Heat (3-1)
After a few days of rest, the San Antonio Spurs will try to get off to the franchise’s best start to a season, winning five straight games. They’ll face their biggest challenge yet in a similarly hot Miami
Heat squad. The Heat have won three consecutive games and lead the league in points per game. The Spurs are statistically the best defense in the league. We’ll see what happens when great offense meets great defense on Thursday night.
The Spurs will once again be short-handed, as De’Aaron Fox, Jeremy Sochan, Luke Kornet, and Kelly Olynyk are all out with injuries. The Heat is similarly hobbled, as it’ll be without All-Star guard Tyler Herro and new acquisition Norman Powell. Both teams have fared just fine without key contributors. The Heat are coming off a 144-117 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
Unlike in previous games, San Antonio may not be able to easily recover from tough stretches of the game against Miami. The Heat can fill it up in bunches and have stout defenders inside like Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware, who can physically play with Victor Wembanyama. The matchup will be a good test for the up-and-coming Spurs. A win would be further evidence that this winning streak is about more than just playing lesser opponents.
October 30th, 2025 | 7:30 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel SW | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: De’Aaron Fox – Out (hamstring), Luke Kornet – Out (ankle), Kelly Olynyk – Out (heel), Jeremy Sochan – Out (wrist), Lindy Waters III – Out (eye)
Heat Injuries: Tyler Herro – Out (ankle), Kasparas Jakucionis – Out (groin), Nikola Jovic – Questionable (hip), Norman Powell – Doubtful (groin), Terry Rozier – Out (not with team)
What to watch for:
Back-up center minutes
Bismack Biyombo has been targeted defensively in the last two games. Heat fans like to call Ware the “Wemby-buster,” given his success against the Spurs star. While it’s probably too early to declare that Ware is Wembanyama’s kryptonite, he’s surely good enough to take on San Antonio’s weakened front court. The Spurs are going to need a big performance from Biyombo and the rest of the bench unit to take on Ware and Adebayo when Wembanyama sits. Expect more minutes from Carter Bryant, and potentially a no-big-man lineup, like the one Mitch Johnson played against the Toronto Raptors.
Taking care of the ball
The Spurs are in the top-10 in turnovers per game, coughing it up 17.5 times per contest. The Heat are one of the best teams in the league at forcing turnovers, averaging 9.8 steals a game and forcing 17.3 turnovers. Miami is a middle-of-the-pack defensive team, but the one thing they do well is pressure and create mistakes. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Davion Mitchell, and Andrew Wiggins are solid perimeter defenders. Adebayo is one of the most versatile defenders in the league, and Ware is a crazy athlete who can make an impact defensively. The Spurs will need to value their possessions and handle pressure to walk away with a victory on Thursday.
Controlling the pace
Going along with taking care of the ball is establishing and controlling the pace of the game. The Heat lead the league in pace of play. They like to create turnovers, play fast, and put up a lot of threes. The Spurs, on the other hand, want to slow the pace down (26th in the league) and pound the ball down your throat. San Antonio will rely on their young guards, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, to control the ball, handle pressure, and get the team good looks inside. The Spurs could be in for a long night if this game turns into a track meet.
