The last few weeks haven’t been kind to the San Antonio Spurs. Back-to-back blowout losses to the Memphis Grizzlies leave them two games below .500 and losers in four of their last five games. Somehow, it’s still better than what’s happening in South Beach.

The Miami Heat leads the league in bad vibes. Jimmy Butler is back after a seven-game suspension for breaking team policy. The Heat’s best player hasn’t looked engaged since requesting a trade earlier this year. Without Butler, Miami has focused on establishing its youth as the franchise’s core. Tyler Herro is having a career year, Bam Adebayo is a defensive anchor, and young pieces like Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have shown flashes.

The Heat are a formidable opponent with Erik Spoelstra at the helm, regardless of who is on the roster. Still, they’ll be a step down from the competition the Spurs have faced in January, especially from teams like Memphis. San Antonio’s schedule doesn’t get much easier from here as a trip to Paris looms. The Spurs have an opportunity to steal a win on the road against a Miami team just trying to stay out of the headlines.

January 19, 2025 | 2 PM CT

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Spurs Injuries: Jeremy Sochan – Out (back), Riley Minix – Out (G League), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League)

Heat Injuries: Bam Adebayo – Available (back), Josh Christopher – Questionable (G League), Josh Richardson – Out (heel), Dru Smith – Out (achilles), Isaiah Stevens – Out (G League)

What to watch for:

Winning the hustle game

They don’t call them the toughest, best-conditioned, meanest franchise in the NBA for nothing. #HeatCulture will be out in full force on Sunday. San Antonio has to rise to the challenge. In all seriousness, the Heat are a top-10 defensive team in the NBA. Adebayo is a defensive force, and they have enough weapons around him to cause opposing teams headaches. San Antonio’s offense has been anything but consistent lately. That will need to change to overcome a tough Heat team.

Containing the three-point line

In two straight games against Memphis, the Spurs got lit up from three. The Heat are eighth in the NBA in three-pointers per game. Herro is a threat off the dribble, Duncan Robinson is one of the league’s best movement shooters, and Haywood Highsmith is a nice three-and-D wing. The Spurs must contain ball handlers and get out to shooters to keep Miami from getting hot.

Getting Wembanyama going

Victor Wembanyama has taken a step back after putting up insane stats in December. He seemed to float in and out of the game offensively against Memphis. Mitch Johnson should make a concerted effort to get his superstar big man back on track against Miami. Watch to see if San Antonio runs more intentional action to get Wembanyama the ball in spots where he’s comfortable, either on the perimeter or in the paint. A bounce-back Wembanyama performance could get him back on track before he heads home later this week.

In a potentially precedent-setting confrontation, a college football player is transferring even though his former school declined to enter his name into the portal.

Xavier Lucas, a cornerback who played this season for Wisconsin, is transferring to Miami, according to his attorney, after Wisconsin refused to enter his name into the portal because he had signed a revenue-sharing contract with the school.

Lucas announced in December he planned to enter the portal, and he then said on social media that Wisconsin would not enter his name into the database.

His attorney, Darren Heitner, told Yahoo Sports that Lucas will join Miami anyway.

“NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately,” the NCAA said in a statement.

According to Yahoo, Wisconsin would not allow Lucas to enter the portal after he signed a two-year, revenue-share agreement last month.

The pact grants the school the rights to use the player’s name, image and likeness and disallows other schools to do the same.

Heitner said on X that the agreement was contingent on the approval of the House settlement, “which has yet to receive final approval,” and contingent upon Lucas attending classes no later than spring 2025.

According to Heitner, Lucas already has unenrolled from Wisconsin.

Wisconsin “has not paid any monies to him and so he owes no reimbursement to the Institution,” Heitner said.

Lucas saw playing time at Wisconsin as a freshman, recording 18 tackles and an interception after signing as a four-star recruit out of American Heritage High School in South Florida.

According to Yahoo, Heitner said that Lucas requested a transfer while home over the holidays because his father suffered a “serious, life-threatening illness.” NCAA protocol states schools are supposed to enter names into the transfer portal within two business days.

Wisconsin has not yet commented on a face-off that challenges when players can transfer and a school’s enforcement of revenue-share agreements.