Spurs at Suns
The San Antonio Spurs have not been a superb road team this season and they hope that is about to change when they open their annual Rodeo Road Trip in Phoenix on Wednesday against the Suns. San Antonio has a 12-15 road mark entering the trek, which is only six games this season with the All-Star break falling during the excursion.
The Spurs are slated to travel 6,546 miles, according to the club, during the 16th version of the excursion that occurs because their home venue isn't available for three weeks because of the rodeo coming to town. San Antonio went 6-2 during last season's trip, a sojourn that has often become a turning point for the club in terms of bonding and on-court play, and veteran guard Manu Ginobili is hoping that will prove to be the case again this season. "We've got a feeling that we're still building, trying to find our identity, trying to get players back, rotations and who's in and who's out," Ginobili told reporters. "It's a very unusual situation. I don't remember being in anything like this in (my) 16 seasons, and the crazy thing is we're still third (in the Western Conference)." Phoenix has lost three straight games and 13 of its past 16, and will be without standout shooting guard Devin Booker (hip) for the second straight game.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, KENS (San Antonio), FS Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE SPURS (34-21): San Antonio has endured one losing rodeo trip - a 4-5 mark in 2015 - and backup point guard Patty Mills sees the upcoming slate as less rigorous as last season's eight-game trip in which the team traveled 7,378 miles. "This one doesn't seem on paper as bad as it has been in the last (few seasons)," Mills told reporters. "It's less games. But then again, it's still travel and staying in different hotels. After the All-Star break, we've got Denver and then Cleveland. That's a fair plane ride." Spurs All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge has played superbly no matter the city or venue and he had 31 points in Saturday's 120-111 loss to the Utah Jazz for his 10th 30-point outing of the campaign.
ABOUT THE SUNS (18-37): Phoenix dropped a 112-93 road decision to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday as it shot 38.3 percent from the field, including 8-of-27 from 3-point range. Small forward TJ Warren scored 24 points and has tallied 20 or more in six of the past seven games, while rookie swingman Josh Jackson had 16 points and 10 rebounds after scoring 20 or more points in each of the previous four games. "I think my confidence is a lot higher than it was at the beginning of the season," Jackson told reporters. "I think that I am a smarter player than I was. I'm taking better shots, I'm not hesitating."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Spurs are 3-0 against the Suns this season with two of the wins coming by double digits.
2. Phoenix backup SG Troy Daniels is 5-of-19 shooting over the past two games.
3. San Antonio C Pau Gasol came off the bench for the first time all season against Utah when he had eight points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes.