Losing to the Spurs had reasons within the Bobcats themselves. Being tormented by the two previous opponents from Texas was miserable enough, two intensely contested battles with single-digit point differences, plus the last game of a five-game trip, the Bobcats players had stamina issues, not to mention injury impacts. Not only did Millsap not come to the away game, but Pietrus also got injured after the game with the Rockets and missed the game against the Spurs.
However, the Spurs' offense was really unexpectedly strong for the Bobcats, scoring 35 to 26 against them in the first quarter.
The day before the game, while looking at the Spurs' scouting report, Zhang Yang discovered that the Spurs, who were 15 wins and 12 losses before Christmas, had quietly reached 20 wins and 12 losses.
After ending their 12-game winning streak, the Spurs secured a six-game winning streak, bringing their record to 21 wins and 12 losses, tying the Mavericks who just lost to the Grizzlies!
