Austin Spurs Return to Action After Much Needed Break vs. Santa Cruz Warriors

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Jalen Adaway on the court for the Austin Spurs
Photo via: Jacob De Leon/ProjectSpurs

After a much-anticipated break from G-League play, The Austin Spurs will be back in action on Wednesday, February 22nd as they take on the Santa Cruz Warriors away from home. This will be the first of a two-game series in the Sunshine State as the Spurs look to make one last push for that sixth playoff position.

With the season into the final stretch, this next month and a half will be full of must-win games for Austin. With 13 games remaining on the schedule, including some crucial western conference matchups, this is the start of the most important stretch in Austin’s season.

Austin Spurs vs. Santa Cruz Warriors Info

Date: February 22nd, 2023
Tip-Off: 9:00 P.M. CST
Location: Kaiser Permanente Arena, Santa Cruz, CA
How to Watch: ESPN+

Austin Spurs Preview

With over a week’s worth of rest and recuperation, the Spurs will have now hopefully reset both mentally and physically in order to prepare for this last third of the season. With so much at stake, the Spurs will really need all hands on deck and almost every game will be a must-win in order to have a shot at the playoffs. In their last game, the Spurs had a very disappointing loss to the bottom team in the league in the Birmingham Squadron.

Brandon Randolph has been a quality mid-season addition to the roster as he had 22 points and led the team in scoring. Jordan Hall got the start at center and had 16 points and 10 assists, really seizing the opportunity due to the absences of Charles Bassey and Dominick Barlow. With Bassey now joining San Antonio on a full NBA contract, Austin will have to find some way of coping without his almost guaranteed production.

A major issue that Austin has been dealing with is its lack of size in the frontcourt. With Bassey no longer on the team, the Spurs struggle in terms of defending and rebounding statistics. It’s not putting up points that are an issue, but more or not being physical enough in the paint. Can Austin resolve this with just enough time to end the season on a high?

Santa Cruz Warriors Preview

Santa Cruz was victorious in their last game on February 15th vs. the Texas Legends. Lester Quinones is the danger man for the Warriors as he had 30 points in the win vs. Texas. Quinones is an athletic playmaker who loves to shoot from three-point range and when he gets hot, it is difficult to cool him down.

Jayce Johnson is a rebounding machine and loves to do the dirty work in the paint for Santa Cruz. Jerome Robinson is also another scoring threat at the forward position, and Santa Cruz is extremely deep on their bench, which could cause issues for Austin. The Warriors are two games back in the playoff hunt, so they too will be hungry for a big victory.

With a late tip-off here in the central region, it will still be a game worth staying up late for. With so much on the line these next few weeks, every game is surely gonna be a must-watch.

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