Cue up the “Roundball Rock” — the San Antonio Spurs are hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Frost Bank Center for some Monday night NBA on NBC.
The Cavs (17–16, 8th East) have been profoundly disappointing early on and have lost five of their last seven games, capped by back-to-back road losses to the Knicks and Rockets. The Spurs (23–8, 2nd West), meanwhile, preceded a Saturday loss to the Jazz with eight straight wins, firmly establishing themselves as one of the league’s most formidable squads.
The teams first met earlier this month in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers secured a 13-point victory as Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama watched from the sidelines. He’ll be in the lineup Monday night to welcome the Cavs to San Antonio.
Here’s a look at the Injury Report:
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Out: Larry Nance Jr. (Calf), Max Strus (Foot)
San Antonio Spurs
- Questionable: De’Aaron Fox (Adductor)
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. San Antonio enters as a 3.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Cleveland is listed as a +124 underdog. The game’s total is set at 243.5 points.
Cavaliers vs. Spurs Preview
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
Cleveland’s falloff needs to be studied. After just 33 games, the defending Eastern Conference regular-season champs are already two losses away from matching last season’s total. The Cavs have dropped 10 of their last 15, ranking 21st in three-point percentage (34.7%) and 25th in defensive rating over that span.
While reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley has returned from a calf injury, his minutes restriction has left Cleveland’s defense unsettled. Donovan Mitchell continues to shoulder the offensive load as the lone Cavalier averaging more than 20 points per game (30.7). Though Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter have chipped in solid production, Cleveland has struggled to keep up with the league’s more explosive offenses.
San Antonio Spurs Preview
Enter San Antonio. Despite losing superstar big man Victor Wembanyama for a month, the Spurs have maintained a top-five offense and defense, led by their dynamic guard trio of De’Aaron Fox (questionable), Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell. With the Alien back, San Antonio has looked borderline unstoppable.
Outside of the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward regular-seasons standing, the Spurs are 6–1 with three wins over the defending champion Thunder — effectively derailing OKC’s push to set the regular-season wins record.
Since Wembanyama’s return, San Antonio boasts the NBA’s second-best net rating and defensive rating, while holding opponents below 30% from the perimeter. That spells trouble for an ice-cold Cleveland offense that lives and dies by the three.
Cavaliers vs. Spurs Pick, Best Bet
The Spurs should be hungry to bounce back after losing at home to the lowly Jazz, just their third defeat at the Frost Bank Center all season (11–3). A ramped-up Wembanyama, paired with a dazzling guard corps, forms a Michelin-starred recipe for a victory over the stumbling Cavaliers on Monday night.
