Spurs at Pacers
The San Antonio Spurs attempt to break out of their slump when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday. The Spurs dropped seven of their past nine games, including a 104-103 setback against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
San Antonio got off to a solid 6-2 start but now the losses are adding up and the team finds itself tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the 11th best record in the Western Conference. "Win or lose, there are always things you can do better," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters afterward. "It is a game of mistakes so you try to make fewer than your opponents." Indiana had a three-game winning streak snapped when it suffered a 127-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Star guard Victor Oladipo (knee) missed the past two games and his status for Friday will likely be determined in the hours prior to the game.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (San Antonio), FS Indiana
ABOUT THE SPURS (8-9): Popovich referred to the chemistry issue after the loss to Memphis as his team certainly is still learning how best to operate after the trade of former star Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. "We're trying to get guys to know each other and get to know the system," Popovich said. "That's our goal - to keep getting better and reducing errors and giving ourselves opportunities to win." Standout guard shooting guard DeMar DeRozan - acquired in the Leonard deal - scored 24 points against the Grizzlies and scored 20 or more in six straight games while averaging 24.3 during the stretch.
ABOUT THE PACERS (11-7): Indiana hasn't fared well when Oladipo is out of the lineup and is 1-8 without him over the past two seasons, including an 0-7 mark last season. Small forward Bogdan Bogdanovic is playing well with four 20-point outings in the past five games and he has made 18-of-28 3-point attempts over the past six contests. Center Myles Turner has just one double-double in a tame start and hasn't scored more than 12 points in any of the past nine outings.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pacers won the past three meetings, including a 116-96 rout in San Antonio on Oct. 24.
2. Spurs C Pau Gasol (foot) is expected to miss his ninth straight game.
3. Indiana backup SF Doug McDermott is averaging 13.5 points on 9-of-14 shooting over the past two games.