Spurs 'Didn't Have Juice' in Loss vs. Cavaliers, Says Gregg Popovich

The San Antonio Spurs were unable to grab a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 4, 2024

Spurs 'Didn't Have Juice' in Loss vs. Cavaliers, Says Gregg Popovich /

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San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are recovering after another loss on Saturday night, this time at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 117-101 affair.

It's a step back from when the Spurs played the Cavs in Cleveland back in January, where they nearly pulled off a big upset.

Victor Wembanyama Cavaliers — Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the team's struggles were linked to the fact that they had played a down-to-the-wire game the night before against the New Orleans Pelicans, where a one-point loss deflated the Spurs. Either way, the Spurs looked several steps behind against the top-notch Cavs on Saturday night.

"Their length and physicality poses a big problem and so does their talent," coach Gregg Popovich said of the Cavaliers postgame. "We didn't have as much juice as last time. They're trying hard but couldn't make a shot in the first half."

The effort is there, but against teams like the Cavs, the Spurs don't stand much of a shot ... even with No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama on the floor.

Wembanyama was arguably the best player for the Spurs on Saturday night, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to withstand Cleveland's dominant frontcourt with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who combined for 54 points and 26 rebounds.

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Things don't get much easier for the Spurs, who begin a nine-game road trip on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

Published Feb 4, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.