For the first time in franchise history, the San Antonio Spurs will play a win-or-go-home NBA Cup game. After going 3-1 in group play, with impressive wins over the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets, the Spurs will take on the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers in the quarterfinals. They’ll do so without their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, who is still not ready to return from his calf strain, officially listed as out for the contest.
These teams looked significantly different the last time
they played. The Lakers were without LeBron James and Austin Reaves, while the Spurs had Wembanyama, but no De’Aaron Fox. Their last matchup was a bizarre slog that included 66 fouls, in which the Lakers just squeaked out a 118-116 win. As he routinely does, Luka Doncic punished the Spurs with 35 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals. Now he’ll have the help of Reaves and James as the Lakers look to make an NBA Cup push.
This isn’t the first time in the Cup that the odds have been against the Spurs. They were the underdogs to make it out of their group, which featured teams with legitimate title aspirations. However, San Antonio hasn’t been playing the same level of basketball as they did during group play. They’ve had two third-quarter meltdowns in a row against the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans. They’ll need all hands on deck for all 48 minutes if they want to advance to the NBA Cup semi-finals.
San Antonio Spurs (16-7) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (17-6)
December 10, 2025 | 9 PM CT
Watch: Amazon Prime | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), Jordan McLaughlin – Questionable (hamstring), David Jones-Garcia – Out (G League), Victor Wembanyama – Out (calf), Riley Minix – Out (G League)
Lakers Injuries: Maxi Kleber – Questionable (Lumbar)
What to watch for:
Keeping up with the Lakers’ offensive pace
Los Angeles is one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. They are loaded with talent and have a legit three-headed monster in Doncic, Reaves, and James. The Lakers are 6th in offensive rating, scoring 118.3 points per game. However, they are 20th in defensive rating, which has been their biggest flaw this season. Without a true rim protector and some lackluster defensive guards, Los Angeles has allowed teams to score 116 points per game. This may not be a game where San Antonio can stop the Lakers, but rather keep up with them offensively. We may just see a shootout in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Third quarter woes
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said he has been disappointed in how his team has come out of the halftime break this season. After two games in which San Antonio gave up 40+ points in the third quarter, one would expect a better effort in a win-or-go-home contest. While facing a lethal Lakers’ offense, there will be no room for disastrous defensive stretches. This won’t be like the game against the Pelicans. San Antonio can’t afford to have another “turd quarter.”
“Playoff” experience
For most of the Spurs roster, this will be their first real “playoff” experience. The prize isn’t the chance to win an NBA title, but rather to take home some cold, hard cash, $500K to be exact. There is plenty on the line for this young team with something to prove. It will be interesting to see how this group performs in an elimination game. Fox, Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, and Harrison Barnes bring some playoff experience to the table, but the rest of the team hasn’t sniffed an important postseason NBA game. This will be a chance for Spurs fans to get an early glimpse of how this team may play when the games really matter.
