Wembanyama and the 9-2 Spurs Carry a Nine-Game Win Streak Into Chicago

The hottest team in the NBA walked into the United Center on Wednesday night with a chance to make it 10 in a row. The San Antonio Spurs arrived at 9-2, second in the Western Conference, riding a nine-game winning streak and a perfect 5-0 record on the road, while the Chicago Bulls sat at 1-8 and 14th in the East after seven straight losses ^[1]. Tipoff was set for 8 p.m. Eastern ^[1][4].

A win would give San Antonio a 10-2 start and a 10th consecutive victory, a milestone the Spurs' beat writers circled heading into the trip ^[3].

A Giant Playing Like One

At the center of it all is Victor Wembanyama. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 30.1 points and 11.9 rebounds a game on 52.9 percent shooting, according to ESPN's season numbers ^[1][3]. His last outing was the kind that makes the rest of the league take notice: 40 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots in a 122-96 rout at Phoenix on Monday ^[3][4].

The streak has been built at home and on the road, against good teams and bad. San Antonio beat Utah 119-97 on Nov. 2, edged Dallas 112-111 on Nov. 4, then swept a Western swing with wins at Sacramento (124-109), Portland (125-103) and Phoenix ^[1]. The Spurs score 118.7 points a game and allow just 107.0 ^[1], and Pounding the Rock noted that their defense ranks fourth in the league with a 107.4 defensive rating ^[2].

Pounding the Rock also pointed to Wembanyama's recent tear as the engine of the run, and to Chicago's soft interior defense as a matchup he could exploit ^[2]. What stands out is how complete his game has become. A player that big who protects the rim, rebounds and scores 30 a night is rare. One who does it while his team keeps winning is the kind of player franchises are built around.

The Supporting Cast Carries Its Share

Great teams are never one-man shows, and coach Mitch Johnson has been quick to credit his bench. Spurs On SI highlighted the work of Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet and Dylan Harper as the streak has rolled on ^[3]. The coach put it plainly: "The depth is our strength" ^[3].

That depth was being tested on this trip. Tobias Harris (calf) and Jayden Quaintance (knee) were listed out, and Devin Vassell's groin injury left him questionable in most reports and out in ESPN's preview ^[1][2][3][4].

A Trap Game in Chicago?

On paper, this one looked like a mismatch. Chicago gives up 129.3 points per game, the kind of number that keeps a coaching staff up at night, while scoring 112.7 ^[1]. The Bulls' skid includes a 127-121 home loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, two losses to New York and a defeat at Boston ^[1]. Caleb Wilson leads Chicago at 19.3 points per game, and Josh Giddey leads it at 8.4 assists ^[1]. The Bulls listed Norman Powell (shoulder) and Zach Collins (illness) as questionable heading into the night ^[1][2].

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But records can fool you in November. Pounding the Rock warned that this was exactly the kind of game where a good team gets careless, invoking the old Gregg Popovich mantra of playing every opponent with "appropriate fear" ^[2]. Respect for a lesser opponent is old-school basketball wisdom, and it is a lesson this franchise learned from one of the best coaches the game has ever known.

The Take

There is something refreshing about this Spurs team. In a league that too often rewards the loudest voices and the biggest egos, San Antonio is winning with a franchise player who lets his work do the talking and a coach who credits the bench before the star. The Spurs went 62-20 a year ago, according to ESPN ^[4]. They look even more complete now.

If the streak reaches 10 in Chicago, it will not be because of one 40-point night. It will be because the whole roster bought in, did the unglamorous work and played for each other. That is how championships are built, and the rest of the Western Conference should be paying attention.