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The San Antonio Spurs are looking to pick up a key win against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night in order to remain in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. They suffered a key loss ahead of the game, however, as star point guard Dejounte Murray has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols, per Shams Charania.
Spurs‘ Dejounte Murray has entered health and safety protocols and is listed out vs. Pistons.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 26, 2021
At 13-18, Gregg Popovich's Spurs find themselves in 10th place in the West, meaning they'd be in line for the play-in tournament to try and steal away a playoff spot at the season's end. The Spurs are 1.5-games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks, who are in ninth and eighth in the West, respectively.
A matchup with the Eastern Conference's lowliest team in the Pistons is something the Spurs can't afford to lose, but Murray's absence will be a noticeable loss for San Antonio. The Spurs hold a half-game lead over the Trail Blazers, so a loss could see them drop into 11th place.
On the year, Murray is averaging 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists while knocking down 1.4 3's per game at a 34.7% clip. With him on the sideline, it's expected that Derrick White will see more time at point guard, while Tre Jones is also expected to see an increased role. White is averaging 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists this season across 31 minutes per night. Meanwhile, Jones has posted season averages of just 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while logging 11.2 minutes on the floor per night.
Sunday's matchup with the Pistons is the first leg of a back-t0-back that will see the team host the Utah Jazz on Monday. If Murray can't play in either of those games, his next chance to play will be Wednesday against the Heat.
