San Antonio Spurs Beat Phoenix Suns 123-103 in NBA Preseason

⏱363 sec. here / 15 min. at publisher

📊News: 97% · Publisher: 63%

The San Antonio Spurs will host the Sacramento Kings on Friday night in their final preseason game before opening the regular season against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 20. The matchup marks the first meeting between the Spurs and Thunder since San Antonio fell to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals last season. The Spurs enter the new campaign with their sights set on another deep playoff run, this time hoping to finish the job.

San Antonio defeated the Phoenix Suns 123-103 on Wednesday at Frost Bank Center, overcoming a slow start to pull away from a shorthanded Phoenix squad. The team added De'Aaron Fox and Carter Bryant back from injury, a good sign for their health to begin the regular season. Victor Wembanyama led the way with 19 points, two steals and four blocks.

The Spurs trailed 23-22 after the first quarter but found their rhythm in the second, outscoring the Suns to take a 60-49 lead into halftime. San Antonio extended its advantage to 17 points by the end of the third quarter and never looked back. Stephon Castle added 18 points, while Devin Vassell finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three steals. Dylan Harper and Fox each chipped in nine points in their first start together alongside Castle.

The guard trio struggled to find its footing early but settled in as the game progressed, providing a glimpse of what San Antonio's new-look backcourt could offer this season. Ja'Kobi Gillespie added 13 points and three 3-pointers. Rookie center Tarris Reed Jr. continued to make his presence felt on the glass, grabbing a team-high nine rebounds to go along with four points and three blocks.

Carter Bryant enters the year a fan-favorite but also a young player with a ton of upside trying to make a leap. He said he is trying to be a ceiling-raiser. We're a damn good team with me off the floor, Bryant said, but, like, how can I make this group better when I'm on the floor? His story and role on this hungry Spurs group will be one to follow this season.

Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson and Luke Kornet got some well-deserved rest against the Suns and are expected to be back in the lineup alongside the starting five. The final preseason game looks different for every team. Both the Spurs and Kings could roll out their expected starting lineups, giving their rotations one final chance to play together before the regular season begins. On the other, the Kings could opt to rest their starters and prioritize the regular season. After making a promising debut against the Suns on Wednesday, the Spurs' new three-guard lineup left Spurs coach Mitch Johnson with another opportunity to evaluate the group in a game setting before opening night.

Throughout the preseason, San Antonio has focused on sharpening the details that could make the difference over an 82-game season. Coming off a successful playoff run, it has plenty to build on, but also several areas that need attention before games begin to count. That was evident in the Spurs' first three preseason games, all losses. San Antonio struggled with consistency on both ends of the floor, though Wednesday's victory over Phoenix offered a clearer look at the team's potential.

Friday's matchup could provide another opportunity to evaluate how Fox, Castle and Harper share offensive responsibilities. With just one preseason game remaining, Johnson has limited time to test different combinations before the regular season begins. The team is looking to establish the defensive intensity and physicality that helped carry it to the Finals last season. Maintaining that standard over the course of another long season will be just as important as finding success offensively.

San Antonio has plenty of talent, but perhaps just as important is the confidence its players have in one another. After the Spurs beat the Thunder to become Western Conference Champions in June, Wembanyama made it clear how much this team means to each other. Being with these guys, he said, living through these things with these guys that I love so, so, so much, it's amazing. The result against Sacramento won't count toward the standings, but the way the Spurs approach their final preseason test could offer an indication of how prepared they are for opening night.

The Kings selected guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, adding the Arkansas product to a backcourt already featuring Zach LaVine and Malik Monk. Acuff is one of Sacramento's biggest storylines entering the season. The rookie has shown flashes of his offensive talent throughout the preseason, though his decision-making recently caught the attention of Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.

During the Kings' preseason matchup against the Warriors, Green pulled Acuff aside to offer advice about getting his teammates involved. Green later explained on his podcast that he noticed a possession in which Acuff held the ball throughout, eventually drawing a foul at the rim. His message to the rookie was simple: avoid making a habit of possessions that leave his teammates uninvolved. For Acuff, who is expected to take over starting point guard duties, balancing his own scoring ability with creating opportunities for others will be an important part of his development.

He'll have plenty of offensive talent around him, too. LaVine, a two-time All-Star, provides Sacramento with an established scoring threat on the perimeter, while Monk figures to remain a key contributor off the bench as a secondary ball-handler. In the frontcourt, three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis remains Sacramento's centerpiece, providing rebounding, playmaking and scoring inside. Kings coach Doug Christie could also experiment with newcomer Ben Simmons, who is reportedly expected to join the starting lineup on opening night alongside Acuff, LaVine, Keegan Murray and Sabonis. It would mark Simmons' first regular-season start since January 2025 after he missed the entirety of last season with ongoing back and nerve issues.

Sacramento has some young talent worth watching beyond its projected starters, too. Rookie guard Emanuel Sharp, a second-round selection out of Houston, brings outside shooting and defensive upside to the team. The Kings also signed forward Leaky Black to a two-way contract Thursday, adding another defensive-minded option ahead of the regular season. With the regular season approaching, Sacramento could use Friday's matchup to give its projected starting five an opportunity to build chemistry. Still, with several veterans in the mix, Christie could also choose to give his younger players an extended look.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

San Antonio Spurs Phoenix Suns Victor Wembanyama Carter Bryant De'aaron Fox Darius Acuff Jr. Sacramento Kings

Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Waymo launches fully autonomous ride-hailing service in San AntonioSan Antonio residents can now hail a fully autonomous Waymo ride, the company announced Wednesday.Read more »

San Antonio has 386 miles of roads in failed condition as leaders weigh bond prioritiesDriving on San Antonio streets can feel like an obstacle course, and city leaders are now weighing what gets prioritized in a new bond program as hundreds of miRead more »

San Antonio families have 2 more days to give Fort Sam Houston soldiers a Thanksgiving homeFor many San Antonio families, Thanksgiving means a crowded table, familiar recipes and time with loved ones. For some young soldiers training at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, it may mean their first major holiday away from home.Read more »

Waymo Opens To Everyone In San Antonio, San Diego, & TampaSupport CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription, on Patreon, or on Stripe. Help us produce all of the high-quality, original content we publish week after week despite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles. It’s hard to keep track of where Waymo robotaxis are going to ...Read more »