The NBA season is a test in overcoming adversity. Just when things are going well, the momentum of a team’s success can be halted just like that. The San Antonio Spurs’ Saturday loss to the Utah Jazz was one of those moments. Nothing seemed to go right for San Antonio as the loss snapped an 8-game winning streak and served as a bit of a reality check for the young team that was riding a high.
The Spurs will have a chance to bounce back against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have dealt with some tough
realities themselves this season. Once considered the favorites in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers have struggled mightily to end the calendar year. The Cavs have lost 5 of their last seven games, including losses to the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets in their last two games. There is some symmetry in this matchup, as both of these teams are looking to get back on track after experiencing some recent turbulence, however slight it may be.
The Spurs lost to the Cavaliers earlier this season, 117-130. That game didn’t feature several key contributors, like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Luke Kornet, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. San Antonio lost the third quarter of that matchup 44-19, despite winning every other frame. They’ll look for a consistent effort across the board to bounce back with a win in front of the home crowd.
San Antonio Spurs (23-8) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-16)
December 29, 2025 | 7 PM CT
Watch: Peacock / NBC | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Stanley Umude – Out (G League), David Jones-Garcia – Questionable (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (thigh)
Cavaliers Injuries: Chris Livingston – Out (G League), Larry Nance Jr. – Out (calf), Max Strus – Out (foot), Luke Travers – Out (G League)
What to watch for:
Defensive consistency
A shoddy defense buried the Spurs in the third quarter of their last defensive matchup against the Cavaliers. Cleveland got to the basket whenever they wanted and found a ton of wide-open shooters for threes. Now, having Wembanyama should help them a lot in this regard, but, as the Spurs found out against the Jazz, it won’t cover up a poor defensive effort. Sharp rotations, stout point of attack defense, communication on switches, and attention to detail on help defense are essential to slowing down the Cavs. Cleveland boasts a top-10 offense, featuring multiple players who can create their own offense, including Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Garland. The Spurs will need to be locked in defensively for all 48 minutes to get the win.
Julian Champagnie bounces back
December has not been kind to Champagnie. He’s gone cold along with the weather. He is averaging 8.1 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 39.8% from the field and 31.9% from three this month. It’s a shame his shot hasn’t been falling, because he’s been strong on the defensive end and has become one of the team’s best rebounders. Shooters go through droughts all of the time, and it’s not the first time Champagnie has gone on one with the Spurs. The Cavs are allowing teams to shoot 38% from deep this season, one of the highest percentages in the league, so there is no better time for Champagnie to bounce back than on Monday night.
Winning the possession battle
The Cavaliers are an interesting team that is great at forcing turnovers (top-10 in steals) and have their fair share of giveaways themselves (13.9 turnovers per game). When the Spurs defense is at its best, it’s creating turnovers and hitting home runs on the other end with runouts and transition buckets. San Antonio has generally been good at valuing possessions this season, but has experienced games where turnovers can be a real issue, especially with its young stars, Wembanyama and Castle. Taking care of the basketball and winning the possession battle will be important against the Cavs. ienced games where turnovers can be a real issue, especially with its young stars, Wembanyama and Castle. Taking care of the basketball and winning the possession battle is
