February 23, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) is defended by San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembayama (1) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Image The San Antonio Spurs have won 12 of their last 13 contests despite playing just five games at home since February 1.
That means they will have plenty of momentum when they host the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Thursday in the opener of a six-game homestand.
The two teams played in Detroit on February 23, with the Spurs winning 114-103.
The Spurs head home after defeating the 76ers 131-91 in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper each scored 22 points to lead San Antonio to the victory, which helped the Spurs get back on track after Sunday’s 25-point loss to the New York Knicks.
“The energy we had was kind of like we weren’t just walking around,” Harper said. “After what happened in New York, we just wanted to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we are still here.
“Confidence is through the roof. Everyone is finding their stride at the right time. There is still a lot of work to be done, but because of what we have gained from this trip and what we have shown what we are capable of, I am very excited as we move into March and April.”
San Antonio shot 55.1 percent from the floor against the 76ers, with eight Spurs scoring in double figures, including Stephen Castle (15 points, 10 assists) and Victor Wembanyama (10 points, eight rebounds, six blocks, three steals).
Twenty-four of the Spurs’ winning margins came in the third quarter, when they held the 76ers to 11 points and were just 4-of-22.
“We had a really good time at times when we decided to not get bored with our success and just keep doing what we were doing,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said after Tuesday’s win.
The Pistons traveled to the Alamo City after losing 113-109 in Cleveland on Tuesday and have won three straight since losing to the Spurs.
Jalen Duren had game-highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds, Cade Cunningham had 10 points and 14 assists and Tobias Harris had all 19 of his points in the second half (17 in the third quarter). Detroit had its six-game winning streak snapped.
“We just have to get better,” Cunningham said. “We need to start doing a better job defensively, setting the tone for the group.”
Ausar Thompson added 16 points and Javonte Green had 13 for the Pistons. He cut an 11-point deficit to 2:56 to play in the fourth but couldn’t get over the hump.
“I was disappointed with the level of effort and attention to detail we had on (the defensive end),” Detroit coach JB Bickerstaff said after the loss. “When we do the right things and make stops, we force people to come up with offensive rebounds before us. We can’t help but give our maximum effort.”
The Spurs are in second place in the West, two games behind Oklahoma City in the loss standings with 21 games left. Detroit has been the best team in the East this season and holds a 4 1/2 game lead over Boston in the conference standings entering Wednesday’s game with 22 contests remaining in the regular season campaign.
–Field level media
