Ah, the streak of bad luck. If winning is a good deodorant, as John Madden often explained, then a losing streak is undoubtedly abhorrent. A single loss can be absorbed by any team or fan base with relative class, but once the losses pile up, everyone has the opportunity to move on.

The insults begin to explode and the second-guessing gets worse as the noise of complaints and infighting grows louder. Fortunately, this year’s Spurs team has only experienced three such streaks so far, each lasting no longer than two games.

After a difficult game against an offensively explosive Chicago Bulls team (for all their faults, the Bulls are in the top 10 in both scoring and offensive rating), the Spurs are looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season against a team they have have already beaten twice this season, at the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings are themselves a team that relies on their offensive strengths (and are also in the top 10 in offensive rating), and both of San Antonio’s wins came with Victor Wembanyama on the court.

Of course, the Spurs always have a better chance of winning with Wembanyama on the court, but the Spurs have some serious problems with the substitutes, and the Kings have a player in Domantas Sabonis who can play 40 minutes a night and did the rest the greats of San Antonio in embarrassment.

Given that Spurs’ last win over the Kings came by just two points, Wembanyama’s presence (and stamina on the pitch) will likely be crucial in this game.

Of course, if the Kings are shooting 58% from the field and 46% from distance like they did last night, that might not matter at all.

Sacramento Kings at San Antonio Spurs

December 6, 2024 | 7:00 CT

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spore injuries: Tre Jones – Out (Shoulder), Victor Wembanyama – Daily Life (Back)

King’s injuries: Trey Lyles – Out (first leg)

What you should pay attention to

Jeremy Sochan – Small Ball Maestro?

In addition to Wembanyama’s impending availability status, Spurs appear interested in exploring Sochan’s potential in small-ball lineups. On a night where Bassey and Mamu could have seen more minutes, Sochan took the lead in the 5th, posting a double-double with 16/14. The Spurs have toyed with this idea in the past, but a certain lack of cap space from San Antonio’s backup bigs seems to have spurred them (pun intended) to look into it further. In addition to his defensive prowess, Sochan is a master of the kind of dirty work big men have to do to excel in San Antonio’s offense when they’re not Wemby. He is also a rapidly improving passer and a strong rebounder (arguably the best on the team), allowing him to make up for his deficiencies in height and rim protection. The real question is whether Spurs will continue to use him in that role after Wemby’s return and what his limits are until Wemby’s back gets better.

For the Kings fan’s perspective, visit The Kings Herald.

The PtR game thread will be available tonight for those who want to chat about the game. You can also follow the action through PtR’s Twitter feed.