Coming off a tough loss to the Phoenix Suns, the San Antonio Spurs enter two of their most important games of the season (depending on how much you care about the NBA Cup). The Silver and Black will take on the Portland Trail Blazers in the first of two straight Cup games, finishing up Group Play. Two wins would likely put San Antonio over the top and move them onto the knockout rounds. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. They need to win the first one against Portland before focusing on Friday’s
matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
The Spurs could get some reinforcements in their NBA Cup push. Rookie guard Dylan Harper is listed as questionable for the first time since suffering a calf strain against Phoenix earlier this season. Harper was thriving as a ball-handler off the bench, and would give the Spurs a much-needed advantage creator against a tough Trail Blazers squad.
The Blazers are struggling with injuries, much like the Spurs. They will be without their key ball-handlers in Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. Shaedon Sharpe is also listed as questionable with a calf issue. Portland can score with the best of them. They are 10th in the NBA in points per game. They are led by a stellar wing room that includes Sharpe and Deni Avdija who has turned into a star in Portland.
The Blazers thrive at playing an up-tempo style that focuses on turning over their opponents. San Antonio will need to take care of the basketball and protect the paint if they want to beat Portland, and increase their chances of the franchise’s first appearance in the NBA Cup’s knockout rounds.
San Antonio Spurs (11-5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8-10)
November 26th, 2025 | 9 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel SW | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Dylan Harper – Questionable(calf), Stephon Castle – Out (hip), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), Jordan McLaughlin – Out (hamstring), Victor Wembanyama – Out (calf)
Trail Blazers Injuries: Scoot Henderson – Out (hamstring), Jrue Holiday – Out (calf), Damian Lillard – Out (achilles), Shaedon Sharpe – Questionable (calf), Matisse Thybulle – Out (thumb), Blake Wesley – Out (foot)
What to watch for:
Getting into the paint
The Spurs struggled to get good looks inside against the Suns in their last loss. De’Aaron Fox and Keldon Johnson were the only two players who could get to the rim and create advantages for the team. Fox has stepped up his game in Victor Wembanyama’s absence, but he could use some help shouldering the offensive load. Getting Harper back would be huge for this, as he’s basically been a walking paint touch when healthy. The Blazers are a relatively weak defensive team, despite some strong defenders on the roster like Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan. San Antonio should have room to attack the paint and correct their mistakes from the previous loss.
Cleaning up the glass
The Blazers thrive on second-chance points. They are 2nd in the NBA in offensive rebounds. Clingan and Camara are tough on the glass. Clingan grabs 4.7 offensive boards a night, while Camara averages 2.2. It’s going to have to be a team effort to keep Portland from grabbing second-chance opportunities. Luke Kornet should have his hands full with Clingan, who is starting to come into his own in his second NBA season. The battle on the glass could ultimately decide the game’s outcome.
Mr. 100%’s offensive involvement
Harrison Barnes has been crucial for the Spurs in Wembanyama, Harper, and Stephon Castle’s absence. He’s averaging 12.9 points with 53/45/90 shooting splits. He’s essentially been San Antonio’s second option behind Fox. He’s not a player the Spurs run a lot of offensive actions for, but he always seems to find an opportunity to find the soft spot in the defense to get a bucket. With so many players missing, Barnes is a player to watch. They may need a big game from him to secure a victory in Portland.
