The San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets will come together for the second time in eight nights on Friday as they continue to struggle with their development.

The Chiefs-Ravens matchup will be the real Super BowlThe Spurs secured a 135-99 triumph over the Hornets on Jan. 12. Presently, San Antonio is enduring a three-game losing streak and Charlotte is in the midst of a six-game skid.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich mentioned, “We’re going to lose some more games. We would all like to win rather than lose.” He added, “If they are not competing at a certain level or executing at a certain level, we will be on them just as much as if we were winning.”

San Antonio’s defeat on the road against the Boston Celtics ended in a 117-98 loss, matching their lowest points tally in their last 13 games.

The Hornets suffered a 132-112 loss on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans and have encountered similar challenges in their defeats. They were trailing 43-36 after the first quarter against the Pelicans.

Hornets coach Steve Clifford emphasized the importance of defensive play, stating, “No matter how good you are offensively, if you are going to play well, everybody’s got to defend. That’s every team.”

Since their victory against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 8, the Hornets have not won a home game. Their sole success in their last 18 matches came against Sacramento on Jan. 2.

The return of guard LaMelo Ball from an ankle sprain has provided a boost for the Hornets. Ball scored 29 points in his comeback against the Pelicans.

Friday’s game will mark Ball’s first appearance at home since Nov. 22, when he scored 34 points against the Washington Wizards.

San Antonio has secured three victories in the past month, two of which were on the road. Popovich attributed this to “maturity, youth.”

In their recent victory against the Hornets, rookie Victor Wembanyama contributed 26 points and 11 rebounds, marking the beginning of a streak of three consecutive games with over 25 points. Wembanyama has been the leading scorer for San Antonio in six of the last 12 games.

Spurs guard Devin Vassell scored 21 points at Boston after managing a total of 21 points in the previous three games. Popovich commented, “We’re trying to get him to defense himself into the game, not jump shoot himself into the game.”

Charlotte center Nick Richards faced an ankle injury in the first half against New Orleans but returned to play 31 minutes. Clifford praised his performance at both ends of the court.

Hornets guard Terry Rozier displayed his best shooting percentage for the month, making 9 of 15 shots (60 percent) against the Pelicans. He also made seven 3-pointers for the second time in January.

San Antonio’s 135-point performance against Charlotte last week marked the second-highest points tally allowed by the Hornets this season.