The San Antonio Spurs enter Wednesday's New Year's Eve showdown eager to get revenge on the New York Knicks, after falling to them in the 2025 NBA Cup Final.
They'll also be eager to bounce back after consecutive losses to the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers. With Denver Nuggets' star Nikola Jokic going down with a knee injury, the Spurs are in prime position to increase their lead over third place in the Western Conference.
That said, they'll face a couple of different injuries ahead of Wednesday's game.
For starters, after a seven-point performance against the Cavaliers, Devin Vassell has been ruled out due to a right adductor strain. Vassell exited Monday's game due to the issue and despite returning to the game, he appeared to be playing through pain.
Additionally, Stephon Castle has been listed as questionable due to a left thumb strain.
After winning Rookie of the Year last year, Castle has continued to improve in his sophomore season, posting 18.5 points, seven assists, five rebounds and 1.3 steals, all of which are career-highs.
The New York Knicks will also be banged up, missing Landry Shamet, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson due to injury. Ariel Hukporti is listed as questionable, while Tyler Kolek has been labeled as probable.
Following Wednesday's game, San Antonio will travel to Indiana to face the league-worst Pacers. They'll follow that matchup with a trip to Portland to face the Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday.
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