The San Antonio Spurs will face off against the New York Knicks on Christmas Day in the first of two matchups this season. The Spurs are coming off a 111-106 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday; that same day, the Knicks extended their winning streak to four by defeating the Toronto Raptors 139-125.
The Spurs currently stand ninth in the Western Conference standings with their 15-14 record. The Knicks, meanwhile, are third in the Eastern Conference after amassing 19 wins and 10 losses.
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks: Injury Report
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San Antonio Spurs injury report
There are no players included in the Spurs’ injury report for this Dec. 25 game. It’s expected that the team will be able to field their entire active roster.
New York Knicks injury report
Mitchell Robinson will remain unavailable for this Christmas Day game matchup, as he is still recovering from foot surgery before the season began. Also, rookie forward Kevin McCullar Jr. won’t be making his Knicks debut against the Spurs on Dec. 25 due to knee problems.
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks – Predicted starting lineups and depth chart
San Antonio Spurs predicted starting lineup and depth chart
New York Knicks predicted starting lineup and depth chart
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks: Key matchups
Chris Paul vs. Jalen Brunson
The point guard matchup is a battle of All-Star guards — one a 12-time All-Star and the other a first-time inclusion in 2024. Though Paul’s points, rebounds, and assists are slightly up from last season, he’s been falling short of his career averages in his first 39 games with the Spurs.
As for Brunson, his improved shooting percentages and better assist numbers are compensating for his 4.1 drop in points per game.
Devin Vassell vs. Mikal Bridges
Vassell is the second-leading scorer on the Spurs roster with 16.1 ppg. He’s also San Antonio’s best outside sniper, hitting 39.5% of his shots from distance. Vassell will be in for a tough defensive matchup against the long-limbed Bridges, whose 17.3 ppg is the third-best in the Knicks’ highly efficient offense.
Victor Wembanyama vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
In another old-school versus new-school matchup, Towns will have his hands full with Wembanyama, an athlete who took the modern big man blueprint and fashioned a unique hardcourt persona that’s put the entire league on notice.
Towns is averaging a double-double in points and rebounds and shooting 45.6% from deep off five outside attempts per game. “Wemby”, meanwhile, has his own big numbers to boast: 24.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, and a league-leading 4.0 bpg.
Edited by Veer Badani
