San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns riding hot stretches

This coming matchup is heating up — the Suns and Spurs are both riding waves of momentum and heading into their showdown with plenty of storylines worth watching.

What’s been going right

• The Suns have been firing on defence almost as much as offence: they’re averaging 10.8 steals per game, second in the league, which speaks to how aggressive and switched-on they’ve been lately.
• On the Spurs’ side: despite key injuries — including the absences of Victor Wembanyama (left calf) and Stephon Castle (hip flexor) — the team’s “next‐man‐up” mindset has kicked in. They forced 16 turnovers in a recent win and are adjusting their rotation (e.g., starting Luke Kornet) to keep the momentum moving. 
• The Spurs’ guard‐driven attack has clicked since De’Aaron Fox returned — he’s averaged 23.1 points and 6.6 assists in his first seven games back.

But there are caveats

• The Spurs were humbled in the first meeting against the Suns (loss 130-118), which snapped their season-opening five-game win streak.
• For the Suns, guard Grayson Allen remains out (quad), marking his fourth straight game missed heading into this one.

Key angles heading into the showdown

• Which team’s momentum will dominate? Will the Suns ride their defensive edge and steals-marathon into another win? Or will the Spurs’ resilience and adjustment strategy (especially sans Wembanyama) shine through?
• How big is Fox’s impact going to be? With the Spurs leaning on him more, this could be a breakout “let me lead” moment for him.
• Injury management and depth are going to matter: the Suns missing Allen and the Spurs missing several core rotation pieces creates opportunity — and risk — for both sides.