San Antonio Spurs host winless Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center

Spurs Host Winless Kings at Frost Bank Center Looking to Build on First Victory

The San Antonio Spurs enter Tuesday night’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings with a 1-2 record, searching for the kind of consistent habits that eluded them in their opening losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Central at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, as the Spurs host a Sacramento squad that has dropped its first three contests of the regular season.

After a missed 3-pointer by Stephon Castle, Tarris Reed Jr. pulled in an offensive rebound, missed the putback opportunity and rebounded it again. The ball found its way out to Julian Champagnie, who nailed a 3-pointer. #Spurs now up by nine. #PorVida https://t.co/ChqLGQngKU

— https://x.com/mattgzman/status/2114176299887657382

San Antonio earned its initial win of the campaign on Saturday night, defeating a short-handed Dallas Mavericks team 122-106 at the American Airlines Center. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 23 points and four blocks, while Dylan Harper added 22 points. De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each contributed 19 points and combined for 17 assists, powering an offensive display that saw the Spurs record 34 assists against just 12 turnovers.

Spurs Surge Late but Coach Notes Execution Issues

While the final score in Dallas reflected a comfortable 16-point margin, the game was tight heading into the final period. San Antonio held a narrow three-point lead before surging down the stretch, eventually building a lead as large as 23 points. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson refused to let his team celebrate the outcome as a turning point, pointing to lingering execution issues.

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“We’ve played three games, and we’ve got stretches of the games where we’re getting our butts kicked,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of things we can control and we’ve got to be better at that.”

The Spurs appear likely to stick with the starting lineup that secured that first win, featuring Fox, Castle, and Harper alongside Devin Vassell and Wembanyama. Vassell chipped in 11 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals against Dallas without committing a turnover. Deeper in the rotation, rookie center Tarris Reed Jr. made a strong impression after entering the game in the fourth quarter. Harper praised Reed’s impact, calling his energetic minutes some of the best played by anyone on the floor.

Sacramento’s Search for Cohesion

The Sacramento Kings arrive in San Antonio mired in an 0-3 start, following a 123-112 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Despite a 37-point performance from Zach LaVine and 22 points and seven assists from rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., defensive breakdowns and late-game collapses have defined Sacramento’s early weeks. Domantas Sabonis added 15 points and 15 rebounds against Memphis, but the team surrendered a decisive 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter.

Building Momentum: Preview, How to Watch Spurs Look for Second Win vs. Kings — Photo: newsbeep.com

Speaking in the locker room after Sunday’s defeat, LaVine addressed the team’s ongoing search for leadership and identity.

“Sometimes it’s organized from the top down,” LaVine said. “Sometimes it’s organized from a certain player on the team, like a Chris Paul… a very high-level leader… It can come from a veteran coach or even a bench coach. But we’re all working through it. We don’t really have any of that right now, and it’s not going to come anytime soon.”

Sacramento coach Doug Christie shouldered the blame for Sunday’s setback, telling reporters, “I have to be better for them. This isn’t on them. I’ll take this.” Compounding the Kings’ early-season challenges is an extensive injury report. Sacramento will be without Keegan Murray (ankle), Dylan Cardwell (calf), Maxime Raynaud (knee), and Ben Simmons (Achilles), leaving the roster shorthanded as they face the Spurs.

Broadcast Options for Tuesday Game

For fans looking to follow Tuesday’s action, the game will be broadcast live via DAZN and NBA League Pass, with television coverage also available on Channel 680 on DirecTV. Radio broadcasts can be heard locally on 1200 WOAI in English and KXTN.com 1350AM in Spanish.