Why Spurs’ Devin Vassell says San Antonio ‘owed’ the Suns

ByNBAUSA



At the start of their last game, there were two Western Conference teams San Antonio Spurs he was yet to win this season. One is the Los Angeles Clippers, who Devin Vassell and the company has yet to play. The second was the Phoenix Suns.

“We’re 0-2 against them, so we owe it to them,” Vassell said before their meeting in Austin, Texas.

The Spurs entered the post-All-Star portion of the NBA year with the second best record in the West. They are actually closer to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who started the season 24-1, than the team behind them in the standings. And while San Antonio has beaten the defending champion four times in 2025-2026, they he had yet to give up a Phoenix team that is also very much in the playoff picture.

“Honestly, I’m excited for this match,” Vassell said before their last meeting.

While the Spurs entered the match healthy, the Suns did not. Guard Dillon Brooks has been ruled out due to a league-imposed suspension. Adding insult to injury – or vice versa in this case – the star guard Devin Booker left the Spurs’ 121-94 win early with hip soreness.

“We know the type of energy, defense and intensity that (Dillon Brooks) brings,” Vassell admitted ahead of time. “They’re still a really good team.”

Spurs are looking to beat the Suns for the first time

San Antonio’s first loss of the season actually came in Phoenix. 5-0 for the first time in franchise history, the Spurs were already without De’Aaron Fox when they lost Dylan Harper to injury in the second quarter. The Suns took a seven-point lead after the first quarter and never really looked back, outscoring the visitors in the second and third quarters, as well as before a mostly turnover-filled fourth quarter, 130-118.

The Spurs lost again three nights later (at the Los Angeles Lakers), but bounced back to win three straight. It helped set the tone for what has become of the Silver and Black season up to this point.

Exactly three weeks later, on November 23, the Spurs found themselves back in Arizona. Still without Harper, who would return shortly after due to a strained calf, head coach Mitch Johnson brought back Fox. But he also missed Victor Vembanyama and Stephon Castle. Spurs’ two young stars suffered injuries in back-to-back games a week earlier. Led by Brook’s 25 and Booker’s 24 points, the Suns came away with a 111-102 victory.

This led to their last meeting. Although part Rodeo Road Tripgames against the Suns and Sacramento Kings represent a slight departure from the team’s annual tradition as part of an agreement Spurs Sports & Entertainment made with the city of Austin and the University of Texas to play two home games in the state capital.

The win against Phoenix served as San Antonio’s seventh straight, continuing their longest actual streak of the season, as the previous eight-game streak included defeat by the New York Knicks in the finals of the NBA Cup.

The Clippers are still the only team in the West that the Spurs haven’t beaten. Their first hit in LA comes on March 6th.





2026-02-21 00:17:00

Similar Posts