Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Two injured teams with little left to play for outside of pride (or draft position) meet up for the second time this season. The Spurs’ season has officially hit what I would call it’s third and final phase. First, there was the exciting first hal f of the season where the Spurs were winning more than they were losing, looking vastly improved from last season despite dealing with some injuries to key players. Then, there was the “struggle phase” with its own three subphases: a rough January schedule, hope with the arrival of De’Aaron Fox, and a third subphase that began with the demoralizing news that Victor Wembanyama would miss the remainder of the season with a blood clot. During that subphase, the Spurs have been in no-man’s land, not quite calling it quits but still experimenting and not exactly instilling confidence that they would go on a season-saving run without Wemby. Now, the Spurs are entering phase three, which I’m calling the “acceptance phase” (or what others would call tanking) with the announcement that Fox will get his injured finger operated on and is done for the season — which I guarantee you he would have waited to do if Wemby was still healthy and/or the postseason was in play. Tonight, they kick of phase three against a Charlotte Hornets team in a similar boat but with a much more realistic shot at the ultimate goal of tanking teams: the top overall pick . San Antonio Spurs (27-37) vs. Charlotte Hornets (16-49) March 14th, 2025 | 7:00 PM CT Watch: FanDuel Sports | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM) Spurs Injuries: Charles Bassey (out — knee); De’Aaron Fox (out — finger); Victor Wembanyama (out — deep vein thrombosis) Hornets Injuries: Tre Mann (out — back), Brandon Miller (out — wrist), Josh Okogie (out — hamstring), Grant Williams (out — knee) What to watch for Revenge — The Spurs may be in tank mode, but that doesn’t mean they like to be embarrassed. They experienced that feeling on Monday when they were beat by a skeleton-crew Dallas Mavericks team, and they returned the favor on Wednesday (even if it wasn’t as emphatic as we would have liked). Now they have another chance for revenge against a team that embarrassed them back in early February, in that small window where the Spurs had both Wemby and Fox. The Spurs were behind most of the game in Charlotte but took a late lead, only for Miles Bridges to hit a game-winning three. The Spurs may be “tanking”, but they still have some pride on the line, and they’ll want that one back. Castle vs. Ball — With Fox out, it’s pretty easy to assume that Stephon Castle will return to the starting lineup. That will likely mean that the Rookie of the Year favorite will get plenty of time guarding one of the most offensively gifted guards in the league in LaMelo Ball. Castle, who had a career-high 33 points on 10-15 shooting in their first matchup, actually outplayed Ball, who had 24 points on an inefficient 9-26 night. That was with Castle coming off the bench, so they will likely see more time against each other if he starts. It’s a matchup that should make this a fun game worth watching. Who will get more minutes? — Someone will have to help fill the backup point guard role, and recent results indicate that will likely be Blake Wesley. Malaki Branham could also get some more playing time after riding the bench most of the season. To be honest, I was a little surprised when the Spurs picked up both of their 4th year rookie options last summer, so unless they are traded or waived, one or both will be back next season. Now is as a good a chance as they’ll get to make a case for a role next season, or at least improve their trade value or make a case for a role on other teams. You may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread! ...read more read less