On December 18, Beijing time, the Spurs suffered a major rout in the home game against the Pelicans, losing 110-146.
In the previous game, the Spurs had ended an 18-game losing streak and successfully defeated the Lakers.
However, even with this victory, Spurs still face a lot of problems and have not really come out of the doldrums.
As a result, they still can't afford to be careless in their game against the Pelicans.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been in good form lately, winning three straight games in a row, and will be looking to extend their winning streak against the Spurs.
The starting lineups for both sides are: The Pelicans starting lineup is McCollum, Jones, Ingram, Zion and Valanciunas;The Spurs fielded Sochan, Branham, Vassell, Johnson and Wembanyama as starters.
The Spurs led 6-0 at the start of the first half, but the Pelicans quickly overtook and continued to extend their lead in the following games.
Although Johnson stepped up to save the Spurs from the slump, the Spurs were still 10 points behind at halftime.
In the second half, the Pelicans performed well, extending the lead, at one point stretching the margin to 40 points, and finally winning by 36 points over the Spurs.
In the last game, the Spurs were able to beat the Lakers mainly thanks to the team's multi-point flowering.
However, it is a pity that in this game, Spurs were unable to continue their previous excellent performance.
Vassell and Johnson, in particular, were disappointing.
Wembanyama, who contributed well in the last game, although he also gave his all, his contribution to the team was still limited.
In contrast, the Pelicans bloomed more, with McCollum and Ingram playing well.
At the end of the game, the Pelicans' three-point shooting performance was particularly prominent, hitting 22 three-pointers from 42 for the team, which was one of the keys to their victory over the Spurs.
The Pelicans' victory also put the Lakers in a passive position.
In their most recent game, the Lakers suffered an upset loss to the Spurs, putting them in an awkward position.
Despite the fierce competition in the West, the Lakers have dropped to ninth place.
Thankfully, the Lakers have a 05 wins difference.
However, given the Lakers' current standings, they must give it their all to win every game or risk a significant gap to the rest of the team.