Warriors at Spurs: Wembanyama's winning run meets a Curry-less offense
San Antonio has just erased a 22-point deficit in Chicago to make it ten wins in a row. Golden State lost in Houston on the night Stephen Curry left injured. The NBA has now ruled him out of this Cup meeting: Victor Wembanyama's rim protection faces a visiting offense that must share the playmaking burden without its leading scorer.
- Competition: 2026-27 NBA season, Emirates NBA Cup group play, West Group C.
- Matchup: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs.
- Scheduled game time: Friday, November 13, 8:30 p.m. CST in San Antonio and 9:30 p.m. EST on the East Coast; Saturday, November 14, 02:30 UTC.
- Venue: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio arrives with a comeback as well as a streak
The Spurs are 10-2 after beating Chicago 124-119 on Wednesday, November 11. They trailed by as many as 22 points before completing their tenth consecutive win. Wembanyama scored 32 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots. Two days earlier he had posted 40 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks in a 122-96 win at Phoenix. Those performances show why an opponent must account for both his scoring and the shots he changes near the basket.
The Chicago game offered San Antonio a warning too: its defense allowed a large early deficit. Golden State comes off a loss, but in its previous win it handed out 37 assists and scored 138 points against New Orleans. Moving the ball before Wembanyama settles around the rim could force the Spurs to defend a different set of spaces. Golden State now has to do that without the pull Curry normally exerts on defenders.
Curry's injury changes Golden State's question
The Warriors' eight-game winning streak ended in Houston on Wednesday. Curry left in the first quarter with soreness on the right side of his abdomen. Thursday's NBA injury report lists him out against San Antonio with a right oblique tear. He was averaging 30.6 points per game before the Houston trip, according to the NBA, and had led Golden State in scoring in six of its eight straight wins.
The 138-87 victory over New Orleans showed other ways for Golden State to generate points: Brandin Podziemski scored 25, matching Curry, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg added 23. Draymond Green and Al Horford each supplied six assists. Friday's task is to turn that ball movement into openings without the shooter who most affects opposing defenses. Brandon Williams' absence also removes a ball-handling option. San Antonio can stay closer to Golden State's passers, although it must still avoid conceding clean outside shots.
At the other end, Wembanyama faces Golden State's interior attack. Nine blocks against Phoenix and five against Chicago do not guarantee another such total, but they illustrate the challenge: the Warriors must choose when to attack the rim and when to find an outside pass. The Spurs, meanwhile, need to finish defensive possessions with rebounds rather than give Golden State another shot.
Player availability
The NBA's official injury report at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 12 includes both teams. Questionable and probable designations can change before tip-off.
Golden State Warriors
- Stephen Curry: ruled out Friday with a right oblique tear.
- Brandon Williams: out with a left hamstring strain; the club had set a reevaluation for one week after November 10.
- Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody: out while recovering from a right ACL injury and left patellar tendon injury, respectively.
- Kristaps Porzingis: out, not with the team. Charles Bassey: probable with left toe soreness.
San Antonio Spurs
- De'Aaron Fox: questionable with left hip soreness. Devin Vassell: questionable with left adductor tightness.
- Tobias Harris: out with a left calf strain. Jayden Quaintance: out while recovering from right knee surgery.
How to watch Warriors-Spurs
- Venue: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio.
- Date and time: Friday, November 13, at 8:30 p.m. CST in Texas and 9:30 p.m. EST in New York. Prime Video lists U.S. coverage of the game from 9:30 p.m. EST.
United States — Friday, 9:30 p.m. EST / 6:30 p.m. PST
- TV: no linear channel is confirmed for this game on the official listing consulted.
- Streaming: Prime Video schedules the game live.
United Kingdom — Saturday, 2:30 a.m. GMT
- TV and streaming: a market-specific live listing for this game has not been confirmed.
Australia — Saturday, 10:30 a.m. AWST (Perth), 12:30 p.m. AEST (Brisbane), 1:30 p.m. AEDT (Sydney)
- TV and streaming: a market-specific live listing for this game has not been confirmed.
The game will test whether San Antonio can keep protecting the basket while sustaining its comeback form. Golden State must find collective creation without Curry, while the Spurs await final answers on Fox and Vassell.
