Spurs look to continue rise as Heat hope to stop fall

The San Antonio Spurs are 21-2 since Feb. 1, the best record in the NBA during that span.

The Spurs (53-18) will look to continue that momentum Monday night in Miami against the Heat (38-33). San Antonio has won five straight games, while Miami has lost four in a row.

This has been a breakthrough season for the Spurs, who clinched their first playoff berth since 2019 on Thursday. They haven't won a playoff round since 2017.

Leading the way is Victor Wembanyama, who has 11 games this season in which he has at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. That's the most 30-10 games by a Spurs player since Tim Duncan 22 years ago.

"He deserves his flowers," Spurs teammate Keldon Johnson said of Wembanyama. "He's been our guy on and off the court. I'll be the guy to say what needs to be said: Victor Wembanyam, MVP."

Wembanyama, who averages 24.3 points, leads the NBA in blocks (3.0) and ranks fifth in rebounds (11.1). The third-year player -- he's still just 22 years old -- is shooting 81.8% from the foul line, 57.9% on two-pointers, and a career-best 35.6% on 3-pointers.

The 39-year-old Mitch Johnson, who is in his first full season coaching the Spurs, has a talented roster that also includes speedy point guard De'Aaron Fox, who is averaging 19 points and 6.3 assists.

However, the Spurs have injury concerns regarding two of their top four scorers: Stephon Castle (hip) and Devin Vassell (hamstring).

Castle, who averages 16.5 points and a team-high 7.1 assists, has missed two straight games. Vassell, who is averaging 14.3 points while shooting 38.4% on 3-pointers, missed San Antonio's win over Indiana on Saturday. In fact, Vassell was ruled out just 15 minutes before that game after experiencing tightness in that right hamstring.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned struggling Heat have slipped to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Miami has been a solid home team (23-13), but the Spurs have been elite on the road (24-11).

The Heat are dealing with significant injuries, as three of their top five scorers -- Norman Powell (calf), Andrew Wiggins (toe) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (hip) -- missed Miami's most recent game, a 123-122 win by host Houston on Saturday night. The Rockets won that game on a tip-in at the buzzer.

Miami's Bam Adebayo scored 32 points and tied his career high with 21 rebounds against Houston. But, curiously, the Heat are just 1-4 since Adebayo went off for 83 points on March 10 against Washington for the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history.

If Powell, Wiggins and Jaquez are unable to play again Monday, it will put more scoring pressure on Tyler Herro and Adebayo. Herro is second on the Heat in points per game (21.5), and Adebayo is third (20.4). Powell leads the way (22.3).

Adebayo leads the team in rebounds (9.9), and Davion Mitchell tops the squad in assists (6.7).

"We just have to stay with it through the highs and lows," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of his team's slump. "We're showing great grit. Part of the grit is that you have to go through some pain, and that's going to steel us."

--Field Level Media