The San Antonio Spurs are hoping to have superstar Victor Wembanyama back in the fold as they look to end a two-game losing streak against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

It will be the second game in a row for both teams.

The Spurs lost 139-124 at home to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday while playing without Wembanyama, who was sidelined with back pain. Sacramento lost on the road to the Memphis Grizzlies 115-110, the Kings’ third loss in their last four games.

San Antonio was doomed by a rocky first half in which it allowed 73 points and trailed by 16 at halftime. The Spurs fought back to within eight points with 3:18 left, but then gave up nine points in a row as they ran out of gas and time.

Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 28 points off the bench, and Jeremy Sochan collected 16 points and 14 rebounds. San Antonio, which never led, lost its third game in its last four contests.

“Lethargic would be the right word – just a lack of energy in the early going,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Once we got going, we made a game of it. But giving up 73 points in the first half and 68 points in the game (overall) is hard to come back from. We have to do a better job.”

Wembanyama is likely listed as questionable for Friday’s game but is expected to be back for Sunday’s Spurs home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Kings fell short in Memphis despite leading most of the game and holding a 12-point lead midway through the second quarter. The contest featured 11 ties and 20 lead changes.

DeMar DeRozan paced Sacramento with 26 points. Malik Monk added 23 points and Domantas Sabonis (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Keegan Murray (11 points, 11 rebounds) each posted a double-double.

Sacramento, which has lost seven of its last nine games, led 101-98 after Monk’s jumper with 6:15 to play before Memphis allowed a 6-0 run. The Kings never saw the front again.

Sacramento got back within a point after another Monk basket with 3:50 left before the Grizzlies scored and held on to four straight points.

Monk moved into the starting lineup this week and the Kings are still trying to find a rotation that works. They had trouble with that on Thursday when their bench was outscored 60-15 by the Grizzlies’ bench players.

“With Malik, I just looked him in the eyes and told him what I thought and listened to what he thought about moving into the starting lineup because I have to listen to him,” Sacramento coach Mike Brown said. “I have to listen to him and then make the best decision, not for him but for the team, while keeping him in mind.”

“We fought and where I’m sitting, I’m not being paid to just sit around and allow it to continue. I’ll throw them out, change things and see if it helps us as a team. And hopefully it does.”

The Spurs won the first two games of the season series, including a two-point win in Sacramento on Sunday, behind Wembanyama’s first triple-double of the season (34 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists).

–Field level media