National Basketball Association
Preview
San Antonio at Indiana
When: 2:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 23, 2025
Where: AccorHotels Arena, Paris

A meeting with the Indiana Pacers in Paris on Thursday afternoon might just end up feeling like a home game for the San Antonio Spurs.

Plenty of fans at Accor Arena will be rooting for Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who already has established himself as a superstar after being selected first overall by San Antonio in the 2023 draft.

"The way I approach this trip is my way of giving back a little to the French public, trying to please many people who will never have the chance to go to the United States," Wembanyama said. "It's really important to me."

It hasn't been all that long since Wembanyama took the court in his native country, as he was a member of Team France at the Paris Olympics this past summer. Still, Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson realizes that the 21-year-old phenom has a special opportunity in front of him.

"I'm sure there'll be people at the game that haven't seen him play in a long time or typically maybe never have," Johnson said. "You know, hometown kids get to see you ... maybe they've never been to an NBA game. So, I know there's a lot of things, not to speak for him, that I'm sure he's looking forward to and that are unique in a very, very cool way for him to connect."

San Antonio has been off since Sunday, when Wembanyama collected 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 128-107 loss to the Miami Heat. Devin Vassell paced the Spurs with 23 points in the setback.

Indiana realizes that it won't be backed by the crowd on Thursday, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is eager to play in a hostile environment as his team continues to find its footing.

"We had a hellacious schedule at the beginning (of the season), probably in large part due to the Paris trip and everything being compressed," Carlisle said. "That's challenging, but it hardens your resolve and makes you tougher.

"What do they say about pressure? It bursts pipes or it makes diamonds, and you hope that is the kind of thing where it can bring out the best in us. So, we're doing some good things and we've got more work to do."

The Pacers, who reached the Eastern Conference finals a season ago, went through a pair of three-game losing streaks and a four-game skid before the calendar flipped to January as part of a rocky start to the 2024-25 campaign. However, they have recently found a groove, going 8-1 in their past nine games.

Pascal Siakam finished with 21 points and was one of six Indiana scorers in double figures in a 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Myles Turner recorded a double-double (18 points, 11 boards) as the Pacers overcame a rough night from Tyrese Haliburton, who had only nine points on 4-of-11 shooting.

Paris isn't all that foreign to Haliburton. Like Wembanyama, he spent a portion of his offseason at the Olympics, helping the United States men's basketball team reach the gold-medal game.

There, the Americans topped France 98-87 in the same arena that will be the site of the battle between Indiana and San Antonio on Thursday. Haliburton did not play in the Olympic final but has been chasing the feeling of winning a championship ever since.

"It's a very special thing to be part of a special group of people and man, it's been a blessing," Haliburton said. "I think the biggest thing is once you start to feel what it's like to win a little bit, once you feel the importance of success, you want more of it."

The Pacers and Spurs also will play each other in Paris on Saturday before returning to the United States.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W/L Strk Home Away Day Night Div Conf
San Antonio 19-22 L3 12-10 7-12 0-3 19-19 2-6 16-16
Indiana 24-19 W2 12-7 12-12 5-4 19-15 5-4 15-15
Last Meeting
San Antonio Indiana
Date Away Home Pts Reb FG% Pts Reb FG%
3/3/24 IND 105 SA 117 117 45 54.1 105 42 44.1
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Points Player Total FG% FTM
San Antonio V. Wembanyama 31 64.7 6
Indiana T. McConnell 26 86.7 0
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
San Antonio V. Wembanyama 12 2 10
Indiana M. Turner 10 3 7
Assists Player  
San Antonio M. Branham 6
Indiana T. Haliburton 8
Season
Points Player Total FG% FTM
San Antonio V. Wembanyama 899 46.9 124
Indiana P. Siakam 894 52.0 123
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
San Antonio V. Wembanyama 403 66 337
Indiana P. Siakam 326 76 250
Assists Player  
San Antonio C. Paul 354
Indiana T. Haliburton 383
Quickchart Matchup
San Antonio San Antonio Off vs  Indiana Indiana Defense
San Antonio Off vs Indiana - Points For 111.6 Points For
San Antonio Off vs Indiana - Points Against 114.6 Points Against
San Antonio - FG% 45.5 FG%
Indiana - FG% 47.1 FG%
San Antonio - Reb 45.5 Reb
Indiana - Reb 44.0 Reb
Indiana Indiana Off vs  San Antonio San Antonio Defense
Indiana Off vs San Antonio - Points For 115.2 Points For
Indiana Off vs San Antonio - Points Against 113.0 Points Against
Indiana - FG% 49.0 FG%
San Antonio - FG% 45.9 FG%
Indiana - Reb 41.8 Reb
San Antonio - Reb 45.7 Reb