Spurs (19-23) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (17-27)
When, where: Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., Talking Stick Resort Arena, New Orleans
All-time series record: Spurs lead 46-18
Last season: Spurs won 3-1
Last meeting: Spurs 113, Pelican 108, Feb 2, 2019, AT&T Center
Spurs' last game: Beat Suns 120-118, Monday, Phoenix
Pelicans' last game: Beat Grizzlies 126-116, Monday, Memphis
Spurs' last 10 games/streak: 5-5, won two
Pelicans' last 10 games/streak: 6-4, won two
Spurs' injury/inactive report: Forward DeMarre Carroll (illness), day-to-day; forward Rudy Gay (illness), out.
Pelicans' injury/inactive report: Forward Derrick Favors (back), day-to-day; forward Darius Miller (ruptured Achilles' tendon), out; guard Kenrich Williams (back), out; center Jahili Okafor, (back), out.
Notable: With a win Wednesday, the Spurs could complete their first 3-game win streak since the first three games of the regular season . . . Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is expected to make his pro debut against the Spurs Wednesday . . . San Antonio is No. 9 in the Western Conference standings heading into Wednesday's game, 1.5 games ahead of No. 10 Portland. The Silver and Black trail No. 8 Memphis by .5 games.
GAME PREVIEW
The San Antonio Spurs will be looking to play spolier to the highly-anticipated debut of last summer's number one draft pick Zion Williamson when the Silver & Black travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans Wednesday night.
Williamson was diagnosed with a torn meniscus following a preseason game against the Spurs. In his four preseason appearances, Williamson lead the team with 23.2 points per game.
What remains to be seen is how the Pelicans will adjust to Williamson's return to the lineup. New Orleans is 10-5 in their last 15 games behind the play of forward Brandon Ingram, who's averaging 26.2 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists over that stretch.
Ingram was part of the trade package sent by the Los Angeles Lakers, along with guard Lonzo Ball and a 1st round, to acquire Anthony Davis. Davis sat out much of his last season with New Orleans, appearing in only 25 games after requesting the team trade him.
For San Antonio, a win over the Pelicans means more than ruining the Zion party in New Orleans; if the Spurs are victorious, the team would complete its first three-game win streak since the start of the season, when San Antonio won its first three games.
The Spurs are a team that needs a streak if they want to stay competitive for the final playoff spot in a contentious Western Conference. The Silver and Black sits in 9th going into Wednesday's game, just half a game behind the current eight seed Memphis Grizzlies.
The going will only get tougher for the Spurs - that pesky Rodeo Road Trip is just days away - so the team needs to get wins over the easier opponents, or at least opponents with worse records, while they still can. Unfortunately, that hasn't always been the case for San Antonio this season. The Silver and Black are 10-8 against teams with a worse record (comparatively, Memphis is 15-8.)