3 Winners and 3 Losers in Spurs inaugural In-Season Tournament Game

Loser: Spurs vs Zone Defense

San Antonio started strong against the Timberwolves, leading 27-21 after the first quarter. But Head Coach Chris Finch adjusted his game plan, shifting to a zone defense rather than sticking to man-to-man coverage. This savvy alteration gave the young Spurs all sorts of fits, including an abysmal third quarter where Minnesota outscored the Silver and Black 34-19.

While the youngest team in the league continued developing chemistry and understanding how to cater to each other, they faced one of their steepest challenges of the season. The T-Wolves entered this matchup with the best defense in the league, and their discipline shined all night. But if we look at the small victories, San Antonio won the turnover battle 14 to 18 over their experienced opposition.

Once San Antonio learns how to get the ball to Wembanyama in his most effective spots, things will start clicking for their offense. But until then, there will be tough outings against some of the best defenses in the league.

Winner: City Edition Jerseys

While Spurs fans had split opinions when the team first announced their 2023-24 City Edition jersey commemorating the 1968 HemisFair, there is no doubt the product looked solid against the backdrop of the In-Season Tournament court.

The threads are simple, but pairing them with beautiful shorts and a matching court certainly added to their appeal. After the lows of the camouflage patterns and the highs of the fiesta uniforms, the Spurs have another solid addition to their jersey collection.