The worst losing streak in San Antonio Spurs history has now matched the worst stretch the franchise has ever endured. In losing 21 of their last 22 games, the Spurs have equaled last year's team as the only versions in the proud history of the organization to lose 21 of 22 contests.

With a loss on Saturday, the Silver and Black would drop 22 of 23 games for the first time in their existence.

Spurs facing a second straight season of futility

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama is hyped up

In losing a then franchise record 16 straights contests, the 2022-23 Spurs won only once between January 7 and February 27. Disappointments to the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz sandwiched a 22-game stint in which the Spurs won just a single game. It's a drought the current San Antonio team just matched with a 114-95 setback to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

“You've got to score. You're got to score. We have three quarters of pretty good defense. Held them to 25, I think, 27, 25, 25 and they broke it open in the fourth but you've got to score and we had a program scoring,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before a pause that was followed with, “All year, basically.”

The Spurs' 110.3 points per game ranks above only the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons, though the scoring average for the Grizzlies figures to improve with Ja Morant back in the fold from league suspension.

Because last year's Spurs recorded a win versus the Detroit Pistons the day before the aforementioned loss to Boston and because they broke the losing streak in the second of back-to-back games against the Jazz, either end of that brutal 23-game stretch includes two victories total.

The 1996-97 Spurs, which posted the franchise's worst ever record at 20-62, never actually endured a double-digit losing streak. Their worst 23-game stretch was their first of that season when they started 6-17.

While the 1988-89 Spurs lost 13 in a row, they dropped 20 of 23 when that streak is zoomed out to include a 10-game stretch that preceded the skid.

Like the franchise record 18-game losing streak San Antonio set last week, the 22-game stretch they're in the midst of now represents the likes of which the franchise had never seen before last season.

Victor Wembanyama back in the fold

After missing just the second game of his young career in Tuesday's match up at the Milwaukee Bucks, Victor Wembanyama figures to be back in the lineup again after returning for Chicago on Thursday.

“It does feel like, now that I'm in the NBA, it does feel — even three days without a game — it feels like two weeks. Just a little bit out of breath, but nothing unusual,” the top overall pick in this past June's draft said as he works himself back after missing his first game since a December 1st contest at New Orleans.

Saturday's rivalry match-up at the Dallas Mavericks will determine whether Wemby and his teammates simply match last year's squad with 21 wins in 23 games for the organization's worst such stretch, or whether they make more dubious history by becoming the first Spurs team to lose 22 of 23.