A yr after shedding each one in all their video games within the NBA Cup, the San Antonio Spurs are on the verge of successful their group. Beat the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and the Silver and Black will declare the West’s Group B. It is that easy. They’ll nonetheless advance to the knockout stage of the NBA’s in-season competitors with a loss, however they’d want loads of assist.
“All you have to do is win a sport,” veteran ahead Harrison Barnes stated.
San Antonio set their stage following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with victories vs. the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Utah Jazz.
How the Spurs can win their group
A win in Arizona would transfer the Spurs to 3-1 in Group competitors of what is formally titled the Emirates NBA Cup. Concurrently, it could knock the Suns right down to 2-2. The Thunder may additionally enhance to 3-1 with a victory vs. Utah on Tuesday, however San Antonio owns the tie-breaker with OKC by advantage of successful their aforementioned head-to-head event match-up. The most effective the Jazz can end is 1-3 whereas the Lakers have accomplished Group play with a 2-2 mark.
“I believe it is necessary for our younger group simply as we proceed to play in these greater video games,” Barnes continued. “Can we provide you with a sport plan? Can we be in these moments the place we have to get a cease or we have to get a basket or we have to execute this play?”
“I believe these issues are huge for us. Simply to even have that chance subsequent sport in opposition to a very good Phoenix staff will likely be a very good problem for us.”
At 11-9, the Spurs have gained 5 of their final six video games. It equals their finest begin by 20 video games because the season after the “Bubble.”
The Spurs may advance to the knockout stage of the competitors because the convention Wild Card. However a number of issues must go their means. With a loss to the Suns, they’d want the Thunder, Portland Path Blazers, Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets to all lose.
An NBA Cup distinction from final yr
A member of the West’s Group C in final yr’s inaugural NBA Cup, the Spurs misplaced to the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and the Thunder. At 0-4, their Cup play ended at that time.
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Barnes was requested if this second-year competitors the place the following stage is single elimination can assist put together a staff for the playoffs.
“On the whole, when a staff has a possibility to make it to the postseason or to have a shared expertise like that, it simply quick tracks the maturity,” Barnes added. “There’s one factor to speak about successful, to speak about taking part in within the postseason, taking part in in huge moments, however you simply should actually undergo it. And there isn’t any different means to do this however to do this. I believe for us that is the motivation.”
Every participant on the NBA Cup champion earns greater than half one million {dollars} with a sliding pay scale right down to the quarterfinals the place every participant will get greater than $50k.
Nonetheless, based on Barnes, for the younger Spurs, the expertise is extra useful.
“That is the aim. Clearly, coming into the season no actually predicted us to do a lot and that was nice. However, our focus has at all times been simply to get it sport by sport, lock this factor down, and simply proceed to get higher.”