The San Antonio Spurs host the Phoenix Suns at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, March 19, at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Spurs are 51-18 and second in the West with a 26-7 home record, while the Suns are 39-30 and seventh in the West with a 17-17 road record.
The Spurs are coming off a 132-104 win over the Sacramento Kings, while the Suns are coming off a 116-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The last meeting between these teams took place on February 19, 2026, with the Spurs winning 121-94, their sole victory over the Suns this season, having lost the other two matchups.
The Spurs are led by Victor Wembanyama, who’s averaging 24.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks this season. De’Aaron Fox is excelling in his first full season with the team, averaging 19.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists this season.
The Suns will be led by franchise icon Devin Booker, who has averaged 25.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists this season to keep the Suns’ playoff hopes alive. Jalen Green has averaged 17.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this season, slowly returning to his former self after an injury-riddled season.
The Spurs are trying to chase the OKC Thunder down for the No. 1 seed, while the Suns are hoping to keep the Clippers and Warriors behind them to hold onto the No. 7 seed.
Injury Report
Spurs
David Jones-Garcia: Out (ankle)
Suns
Grayson Allen: Questionable (knee)
Royce O’Neale: Questionable (left knee soreness)
Dillon Brooks: Out (hand)
Mark Williams: Out (foot)
Why The Spurs Have The Advantage
The Spurs have the second-best record in the NBA and have an 18-2 record over their last 20 games. This franchise is operating at the highest level, led by Wembanyama’s MVP-level play.
The Spurs are the fourth-highest scoring team this season (119.0) and grab the third-most rebounds per game (46.6). They have an offensive rating of 117.9 (fourth in the NBA) and a defensive rating of 110.5 (third in the NBA), for a net rating of +7.4 (fourth-best in the NBA). By all metrics, the Spurs are an unstoppable force on both ends.
Even the Spurs bench is one of the best in the NBA, with their bench having a +2.2 net rating, which is the fifth-best in the NBA. It’s hard to point out what might exist as an apparent flaw for the Spurs, but they have struggled in this matchup against the Suns this season for a reason. If they can be below their season-average of 13.5 turnovers per game against the Suns’ feisty defense, they should be able to have enough of a margin to sail to an easy win.
One of the biggest advantages for the Spurs is just their health, as they will be with all key rotational players active in this game. The Suns are definitely without two starters in Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams, while Royce O’Neale or Grayson Allen could be late additions, which will severely weaken their roster compared to what San Antonio will field tonight.
Why The Suns Have The Advantage
The Suns are behind the Spurs in almost every team metric this season, which is a testament to the Spurs’ excellence. The biggest advantage for Phoenix would be its ability to force steals with 9.8 per game, fourth-best in the NBA as a whole. Even though the Spurs offense doesn’t turn the ball over much, this might be the one area where the Suns can attack them to try to secure this win.
It’s going to be impossible to replicate the success they had in earlier matchups this season due to the confirmed absence of Brooks and Williams, but the Suns have had success by forcing the Spurs into bad offensive nights. San Antonio shot 41.1% from the field in their last loss and 45,9% in the loss before that. San Antonio’s FG% this season is 48.0%, so forcing them into an uncharacteristic offensive night is the only recourse for this franchise.
The Suns are a more perimeter-centric team than the Spurs, shooting 40.9 three-point attempts per game this season and converting them at a 36.3% clip, making them a top-five perimeter offense in the NBA. The Spurs have an efficient offense, but they rarely match the kind of volume of three-point attempts the Suns attempt. So, if the Suns catch on fire from three, the Spurs might not be able to do anything to stop them or counteract it.
X-Factors
Spurs’ second-year guard Stephon Castle is having an incredible season, averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. The guard is capable of dropping a triple-double on his best nights while also providing excellent on-ball defense against some of the best scorers in the NBA. He’ll be a handful for Booker to go against while also providing two-way play that the Spurs have needed to build the record they have this season.
Devin Vassell is averaging 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 38.6% shooting from three. He’s the longest-tenured member of the Spurs roster and has been the perfect 3-and-D small forward on this team. He can space the floor while also being capable of breaking defenses down with the ball in his hands. If Vassell catches fire, the Spurs are almost impossible to stop.
The Suns will have to rely on a motley crew of role players to supplement Booker and Green. This includes point guard Collin Gillespie, who’s averaged 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season. Gillespie has solidified his spot in the Suns’ rotation by being a calm floor general who can hit shots and play in sync with Booker in the backcourt.
Oso Ighodaro is averaging 6.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, as the second-year big man has proven he can fit into the Suns’ rotating frontcourt plans. He’s been stepping up in the absence of Mark Williams, earning minutes over rookie lottery pick Khaman Maluach. Ighodaro’s presence on the boards and high work-rate has made him crucial to Jordan Ott’s rotation.
Prediction
It’s hard to see how the Suns can repeat the magic of their two November 2025 wins over the Spurs with how the matchup currently stacks up. They’re missing two starters and could lose two other key rotational members before tip-off. The Spurs are peaking at the right time and come into this clash rested and with a full roster available at their disposal. Unless a shooting miracle or a Devin Booker masterclass takes place, it’s hard to see how the Suns can even contend with Wembanyama’s Spurs.
Prediction: Spurs 127, Suns 111
