The San Antonio Spurs look to win consecutive games for the first time since January when they host the struggling Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
It’s been feast or famine for San Antonio over the past two weeks, with the Spurs alternating wins and losses while staying in the hunt for a spot in the postseason as the regular season enters its final stretch. San Antonio has not had a two-game winning streak since beating the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets on Dec. 31 and Jan. 3, respectively, and has not won back-to-back games at home since mid-December.
Still, the Spurs (29-39) are just three games behind the 10th-place Phoenix Suns for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament with 14 games remaining.
San Antonio completes a two-game homestand on Friday after a 120-105 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. Reserve forward Sandro Mamukelashvili scored a career-high 34 points in just 19 minutes of action, with 21 points coming in a rousing fourth quarter. Stephon Castle added 22 points, Chris Paul produced 12 points and nine assists, Harrison Barnes had 11 points, while Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan racked up 10 points each for San Antonio.
Mamukelashvili’s incredible game featured 13-of-14 shooting from the floor and a 7-for-7 showing from 3-point range. He never previously made more than four shots in a game from beyond the arc.
“I’m trying to get better, I’m trying to establish myself. I’m trying to show everybody that I belong,” Mamukelashvili said. “And you know, I’ll just keep taking strides towards that. I feel like I’m in a dream. My dad was here, he flew in yesterday, my brother.
“It’s just a special, special night.”
The 76ers haven’t had many special nights lately — losing five of their past six games — including a 133-100 thrashing at the hands of the short-handed, West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Quentin Grimes led Philadelphia with 28 points, while Justin Edwards added 19. Chuma Okeke had 15 rebounds off the bench to go with 14 points in a game the 76ers never led and trailed in by as many as 41 points.
Grimes has been one of the 76ers’ bright spots recently, averaging 33.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists over his past five games.
Philadelphia (23-46) has dropped 17 of its last 20 and is six games behind 10th-place Miami for a spot in the East play-in tournament with 13 games left. Friday’s contest against the Spurs is the fourth of a six-game road trip for the 76ers that continues in Atlanta and New Orleans.
Philadelphia’s All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey has missed the last nine games due to a lower back sprain and a finger sprain, but has been working out. He will be a game-time decision for Friday’s outing.
“Tyrese did work out today (Wednesday),” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said in Oklahoma City after the loss. “We’re still looking to try to get him back on the trip. I don’t know what the possibilities are, percentage-wise on that, but he did work out.”
