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After bottoming out last season with the 3rd worst record in the Eastern Conference the Philadelphia 76ers have been a fun, but flawed team this year, in large part due to yet another impressive leap from lead guard Tyrese Maxey as well as the promising potential of rookie shooting guard VJ Edgecombe. As for their notable vet, MVP Joel Embiid has played in more contests this year than last year but still has managed to appear in just a little more than half of Philadelphia’s contests and is sidelined once again, while Paul George is currently serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s antidrug policies. Their 33-27 record has them currently in 6th place in the East with more room to slide in the standings than there is for them to move up, which means they will likely be in a fight to avoid the play-in tournament through the end of the season.
Meanwhile, March has already been worse for the San Antonio Spurs than February was! The Spurs dropped their first game of the 2026 Rodeo Road Trip in a Sunday afternoon loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, their first loss after posting a perfect February. They’re still within striking distance of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 1 seed, a very worthy goal to aspire to for a team as young as these Spurs are. There’s more than enough season left to make up that difference and with a much-needed nearly 2 week stretch at home coming up, San Antonio are well- positioned to potentially make up some of that narrow ground. Finishing the best Rodeo Road Trip in years off with a win would set them off running.
San Antonio Spurs (43-17) vs Philadelphia 76ers (33-27)
March 3 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Watch: NBC | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Mason Plumblee, reconditioning (OUT), David Jones-Garcia, OUT
76ers Injuries: Joel Embiid, strain (OUT), Johni Broome, meniscus (OUT)
What to watch for
- Even if Embiid was going to be out there to play foil to Victor Wembanyama, it’s possible that the match-up between Tyrese Maxey and Stephon Castle would be the most intriguing one heading into this game. Maxey, a very good shooter and 3-level scorer with a complete offensive package, has recorded a new career-high in points per game in each of the 6 seasons he’s played, while Castle has established himself as one of the very best perimeter defenders in just his 2nd season in the league. Castle has the physicality, toughness, and measurements to match-up with the best of the best, with the most recent example being his battle with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham. Maxey’s 29.1 PPG currently ranks 4th this season.
- Taken with the 3rd overall pick last June, VJ Edgecombe has been a major bright spot for Philadelphia this season. He’s flashed potential as a two-way wing, contributing in multiple categories and making an immediate impact in his rookie season. Perhaps most significantly, he’s shown to be adept at creating for himself, a skill that should eventually develop into creating for others as well. He’ll have his hands full with San Antonio’s slew of defensive wings, including #2 overall pick Dylan Harper.
- With Embiid on the sidelines for this one, veteran Andre Drummond should be Victor Wembanyama’s main match-up tonight. Drummond is 32 years old, but his best days are clearly behind him at this point. Wemby has struggled with his shot as of late, especially from 3. He’s shooting just 28.6% from behind the arc in the 6 games since the All Star break. He also had 7 turnovers in the loss to the New York Knicks he surely wants to make up for, his most in a game since having 8 turnovers in a loss to the Golden State Warriors back on November 12.
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