The San Antonio Spurs enter Friday night's game against the Sacramento Kings in an unfamiliar position--they're losers.
The Spurs won their first four games of the season, but are coming off their only loss, an emphatic 106-84 defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers on the road. The Spurs may have been fatigued after playing their third game in only four days.
"They kicked our (rear end)," coach Gregg Popovich said to the Associated Press. "We hung in there for a half, but after that I don't think we played with the same intensity that they did, and it showed."
The 106 points given up to the Clippers were by far the most the Spurs have allowed this year. The team is ranked seventh in the league in points against, but is only 28th in rebounding with 37 per game.
The team once again is playing unselfish basketball at an extremely efficient rate, like it has for a decade under Popovich. The Spurs are ranked second in the league with 25 assists per game and are scoring 96 points per game.
Tim Duncan has been the focal point early in the season for the Spurs, leading the team with 17 points and nine rebounds per game.
Manu Ginobili has been struggling this year while dealing with a back injury that forced him to miss the first two games. On Wednesday, against the Clippers he only made 2-of-9 shots in 19 minutes.
Ginoboli has played well against the Kings in his career, he "has averaged 20.5 points and shot 61.7 percent in his last four games versus Sacramento," according to the Associated Press.
The Sacramento Kings got off to a rough 0-3 start this season, but have rebounded by winning two-straight games at home.
"When we started 0-3, it was a reminder for us to relax," said point guard Isaiah Thomas, who's scored 25 points in 42 minutes of Sacramento's two wins. "It's relax if you're playing, relax if you're not. It refers to everything we're doing as a team."
DeMarcus Cousins has been one of the bright spots for the Kings this season and played well in the team's 105-103 win over Detroit on Wednesday, scoring 21 points and snagging 11 rebounds.
While Cousins is one of the most talented players in the league, he has had maturity issues since coming out of Kentucky two years ago. He took steps in the offseason to get his emotions under control and has been solid for the Kings, averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per game.
According to the Associated Press, "San Antonio hasn't lost back-to-back road games in the regular season since Jan. 27 and 29."
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