San Antonio Spurs vs Toronto Raptors
PREVIEW: The San Antonio Spurs arrive undefeated at 3-0 but face their first back-to-back of the season , hosting the Toronto Raptors, who walk in fresh off a two-game losing streak. Victor Wembanyama has been the biggest contributor to the Spurs' success, emerging as a favorite in both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year races while averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 6.0 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. San Antonio ranks first in high-frequency attacking the rim while efficiently scoring there at the fourth-ranked level, but struggles with low spacing on offense at 27th. Toronto operates with the second-highest pace in the league partially due to their ability to force errors, and they're tied for seventh in steals, making attention to detail essential for San Antonio.
The Raptors rank sixth in high-frequency attacking the rim but are inefficient at doing so, placing 28th in that category , and The Raptors attempt three-pointers on 30.6% of their shots, ranking 29th in the league (second-lowest). If San Antonio wants to send Toronto back north with their heads hanging, they'll need to keep a lid on Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett while continuing to outrebound their opponent and keeping turnovers low. San Antonio has beaten Toronto the last three times the teams have faced off , though the Raptors head into this matchup with a 1-2 record after beginning the season with a victory before dropping two straight.