San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets: Game Preview and Where to Watch

The San Antonio Spurs are headed back to the Alamo City to take on the Houston Rockets in a one-game homestand.

Their quick trip to South Beach was disappointing, but the Spurs will have a chance to end a two-game skid when their struggling Texas rival comes to town.

San Antonio snuck up on the NBA with a strong showing to start the season. However, the squad seems to be back to square one after consecutive losses to a pair of mediocre Eastern Conference teams.

A 6-4 record keeps the Spurs away from dangerous territory for now, but the boys in Black and Silver will need to step it up if they hope to stay atop a tough Southwest Division. The unexpectedly competitive Grizzlies are hot on their tail and it’s only a matter of time before the Pelicans and Rockets find their rhythm.

Viewing details for the game are below:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 10

Time: 7:30 p.m. CST

Location: San Antonio, TX

Venue: AT&T Center

TV Info: ATTSN-SW, KENS, NBATV

Live Stream: FuboTV, NBA League Pass

Radio: 790 AM

As if the Spurs needed another obstacle to hurdle, San Antonio finds themselves face to face with yet another case of the injury bug. Despite the long-awaited return of Derrick White on Wednesday against Miami, Pau Gasol (foot) and Rudy Gay (heel) will remain sidelined on Saturday.

Though their defense has clearly been a fatal flaw through the early part of the schedule, San Antonio has flipped the script over the last few games. Preventing points has kept the Spurs within arms reach, but slow starts have forced them to play catchup.

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A couple of late surges have made recent losses look closer on the scoreboard, but don’t be fooled by the final score. Opponents are having their way with San Antonio and their poor shooting has made even the worst stoppers look like All-NBA defenders.

With that said, Spurs fans have every reason to be optimistic this weekend. Houston sports the league’s fourth-worst scoring offense and their defense hasn’t been anything to write home about either. Miraculously, Carmelo Anthony has somehow continued to find minutes for the Rockets, and as long as he’s on the floor there will be more than enough room to fire away.

If anyone needs some space to see the ball go through the basket, it’s San Antonio big man LaMarcus Aldridge. The six-time All-Star has struggled to find any semblance of consistency, and center Clint Capela won’t make life easier for LA. He’ll pose a difficult challenge for Aldridge to overcome, but a huge game at home could get him back on the right track.

While the bigs do battle down low, DeMar DeRozan and James Harden should have a field day while taking turns trying to stop one another. Neither player has a reputation for lockdown D and that’s not about to change anytime soon.

If you came to catch some fireworks, this is the game to watch. DeRozan and The Beard are two of the association’s finest scorers, so strap in for a back-and-forth shootout.

Led by Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli, the San Antonio bench has revived the struggling offense time and time again. It’s not necessarily a good sign they’ve had to rely so heavily on Mills and company, but at the very least it gives them an advantage over the Rockets role-players.

Don’t forget about Chris Paul. He hasn’t played up to his usual standards, but that could all change in a heartbeat. Even if he doesn’t turn things around against the Spurs, CP3 is still good for a few highlight reel plays each night. Keep an eye on how San Antonio’s young guards handle the future Hall of Famer.

More offense, less defense and an entirely new cast of characters should shake up this one-sided matchup from a year ago. The Rockets still employ the reigning MVP, but the Spurs have a candidate of their own in DeMar DeRozan for the prestigious award.

I seriously doubt San Antonio drops a third straight contest. The Spurs will be coming off three days of rest and they’ve been great at the AT&T Center.