Spurs news: Paris tip-off time, Hawks game time change, & more

The Spurs are experiencing a special opportunity to reach more international fans as Victor Wembanyama plays host in Paris for a couple of games against the Indiana Pacers. The Silver and Black will look to get back on track after their recent skid. Coming off a string of losses to good teams, they can gain some confidence back if they can defeat another in the Pacers.

Spurs will play early games due to the time difference

Spurs fans should be ready to turn those televisions on much earlier in the day than usual. Thursday's game will be played at 1:00 PM CST/2:00 PM CST, and it will be broadcast on KENS 5 and NBA TV, while Saturday's meeting will be played at 11:00 AM/12:00 PM CST, shown on KENS 5 and ESPN. One game will be considered a home game, and the other an away game.

The Spurs will play two more "home" games away from the Frost Bank Center when they travel to Austin in February (20 and 21) for games against the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons at the Moody Center.

San Antonio has struggled with their defense lately, ranking 27th in defensive rating this month. They'll have their hands full with a Pacers team ranked third in the same category and fourth in offensive rating in January. They play with the 19th-fastest pace in the league, though, so hopefully, that allows SA to set their defense and get some stops.

Spurs/Hawks has a new tip off time

The Atlanta Hawks will be looking for revenge in the upcoming game scheduled for ESPN on February 5. The game will remain on ESPN but will now tip-off at 6:00 PM CST/7:00 PM EST.

The last time the Spurs played these guys, DeAndre Hunter slammed on Wemby and stared him down, somehow prompting a double technical, followed by an overtime win for San Antonio. There was all sorts of nutty stuff going on. The next game should be equally as entertaining and, hopefully, result in another dub for the good guys.

Other updates from Paris

Victor Wembanyama is from a small town west of Paris called Le Chesnay, and during his trip back to France, he wanted to do something special for his community. He had the idea to have a basketball court built in his hometown and was adamant about its completion by the time he and his teammates made the trip. The Alien got his wish.

Spurs executive RC Buford made the trip and recently spoke with the media—something he doesn't do very often. He spoke about San Antonio's place in basketball's international space and the organization's relationship with Europe.

He also had a small update for fans about how head coach Gregg Popovich is doing, stating, "He’s been improving weekly (since his stroke). We don’t know when he will be back, but he will be at some point."

Coach Pop is improving, and that's great news. It's unfortunate that he must miss this trip to rehab, but as long as he gets back to full strength, it's a win for all.

San Antonio is about to play their first game in Paris, but with the NBA's plans for expansion and the superstardom of French phenom Victor Wembanyama, it won't be the last.