Phoenix Suns (11-13) vs. Spurs (9-15)
When, where: Saturday, 4 p.m., Mexico City
All-time series record: Spurs lead 96-77
Last season: Spurs won series 3-1
Season series: First meeting
Last meeting: Spurs 126, Suns 124, Jan. 29, AT&T Center
Suns' last game: Lost to Memphis Grizzlies 115-108, Wednesday, Phoenix
Spurs' last game: Lost to Cleveland Cavaliers 117-109, OT, Thursday, AT&T Center
Suns' last 10 games/streak: 4-6, lost one
Spurs' last 10 games/streak: 4-6, lost one
Suns' injury/inactive report: Center Deandre Ayton (league suspension), out; center/forward Aron Baynes (left calf; strain), probable; guard Devin Booker (right forearm; contusion), questionable; guard Jared Harper (G League), out; forward Cameron Johnson (left hip; soreness), probable; guard Jalen Lecque (G League), out; forward Dario Saric (low back; soreness), probable.
Spurs' injury/inactive report: Forward Drew Eubanks (G League), out; guard/forward Keldon Johnson (G League), out; forward Luke Samanic (G League), out; guard Quindarry Weatherspoon (G League), out.
Notable: The Spurs haven't won three consecutive games since starting the season 3-0 . . . After meeting the Suns, the Spurs play at Houston on Monday. The game against the Rockets will be broadcast by KENS 5, the Official Television Station of the San Antonio Spurs.
GAME PREVIEW
Maybe a game south of the border will help the Spurs shake off their deflating loss Thursday night to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At this point, the Silver and Black probably are willing to try almost anything to change their mojo. Forward DeMar DeRozan, for one, is hoping that a change of scenery will do the trick.
“Looking forward to it," DeRozan said after the Cavs' 117-109 overtime win dropped the Spurs to 7-7 at the AT&T Center this season. "It should be fun just to get a different type of scenery, fan group. Just travel elsewhere, see something different, should be cool.”
San Antonio (9-15) will seek to get back on track when it plays Phoenix (11-13) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City. The game will be the Silver and Black's fifth in Mexico City and first since they lost to the Suns on Jan. 14, 2017.
DeRozan, who scored a team-high 21 points in the loss to Cleveland, shouldered the blame for the setback. The Cavs had lost eight consecutive games and four of their last five by more than 20 points.
Cleveland was playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but it was the Spurs who came out lethargic before making a game of it in the second half.
San Antonio, which hadn't played since beating Sacramento last Friday, outscored the Cavs 60-50 in the third and fourth quarters after trailing 28-19 at the end of the first quarter and 53-43 at the break.
The Spurs led by five with 20 seconds left, but Cleveland forward Kevin Love nailed a three-pointer with 7.5 seconds remaining to force OT. DeRozan left the door open for the Cavs' comeback when he missed two free throws with 14 seconds left and the Spurs up 103-100.
DeRozan also missed a 20-foot fadeaway jumper at the end of regulation.
"Beyond frustrating," DeRozan said of the loss. "I put that loss on myself. I mean, there's no excuse why I shouldn't make those free throws. Seal the game. Put the game away. Make it at least a two-possession game with 14 seconds, whatever it was. That's just not acceptable on my part."
The Silver and Black had won their previous two games, both in OT at home, and three of their last four before falling to the Cavs.
“It’s definitely tough,” Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. “We had opportunities to win it. We didn't capitalize on it and they did."
Aldridge had his fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. But he didn't score his first basket until he made a 7-foot turnaround hook with 7:33 left in the third quarter.
Aldridge had little to say when he was asked about his slow start.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I had good looks, got to the rim. You just have nights like that. No one is perfect. I’m not either.”
Told that DeRozan had accepted blame for the defeat, Aldridge said: “It’s a team effort. We all had things go wrong. We all made mistakes. It’s a team. We win together and we are losing together, so it's on all of us tonight. We let a good opportunity slip away."
The Spurs are 12th in the NBA's Western Conference standings, and trail Phoenix by two games for the conference's last playoff spot.
"It's a lot of teams going through rough times right now, not just us," Aldridge said. "We've just got to stick with it, try to find a rhythm and try to put some games together."
After Saturday's game, the Spurs play at Houston on Monday night. The game against the Rockets will be broadcast by KENS 5, the Official Television Station of the San Antonio Spurs.