It seems like every San Antonio Spurs game is a nail-biter. The Spurs are 7-3 in crucial games this season, including a key overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night. Now they host the Portland Trail Blazers, who they narrowly defeated 118:116 a week ago.

Both teams will look very different, even though they only played last week. Portland will get key performers like DeAndre Ayton back and the Spurs will be back at full health for the first time all season. San Antonio matched the Blazers’ physical basketball quality in their last matchup. They will face strong athletes like Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant, as well as dynamic scorer Anfernee Simons.

The Spurs will rely on their superstar Victor Wembanyama, who was dominant in their last win over the Hawks. He’s looked like an All-Star lately and was great in the closing stages. San Antonio will have an ace up their sleeve if they find themselves in a close game again.

December 19, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. CT

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

Spore injuries: David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Riley Minix – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League)

Trail Blazers injuries: Dalano Banton – Questionable (Hip), Bryce McGowens – Out (G League), Justin Minaya – Out (G League), Taze Moore – Out (G League), Matisse Thybulle – Out (Ankle)

What you should pay attention to

Matching the physicality of Portland

The Blazers are a big, athletic and physical team. They have enough pesky defenders to bother Spurs’ goal scorers. San Antonio was able to match Portland’s physicality in its last matchup, particularly Jeremy Sochan, who grabbed three offensive rebounds in the win. They’ll have to play hard again to keep up with the Blazers’ brand of basketball. Now that Ayton is back, they can attack the paint with floaters and lobs.

San Antonio’s starting lineup

Spurs’ new starting XI looked great on Thursday night. Chris Paul, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Sochan and Wembanyama made the Hawks work on defense and gained a lot of advantages on offense. Sochan can do the dirty work inside while the rest of the lineup handles, moves and shoots the ball. Wembanyama’s ability to stretch the floor and hit his teammates for assists makes dynamic offensive players like Vassell and Paul even more effective. Watch this lineup improve the more minutes they play together.

Quality protocols from the backup center

Mitch Johnson has a few options at center behind Wembanyama, but none of them have opted for the job. Zach Collins has been up and down offensively this year and was hit with a DNP in the Spurs’ last game. Charles Bassey has a strong motor and can protect the rim in spurts, but lacks the offensive ability to make teams pay on the other end. Johnson actually went to Sochan as a backup center against the undersized Hawks. Portland is a bigger roster that will likely need a big backup. It will be interesting to see whether Bassey or Collins takes the job.