The San Antonio Spurs host the Sacramento Kings in an NBA Preseason matchup this Friday (16) at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (19:00 local time at the arena), with live coverage in the United States available via NBA League Pass, Kings+, and DAZN.
The game marks the final commitment for both teams in the 2026-27 preseason before the start of the regular campaign. The San Antonio Spurs enter their fifth exhibition matchup with a 1-3 record after defeating the Phoenix Suns 123-103 on Wednesday (14). The Sacramento Kings remain winless in the preseason at 0-4, coming off a 110-98 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday (13). In the most recent official meeting between the two franchises, played on March 17, 2026, during the 2025-26 regular season, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Sacramento Kings on the road by a score of 132-104.
Where to watch San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings live
Fans in the United States have three broadcasting options to follow the preseason finale between the two Western Conference franchises:
- NBA League Pass (streaming)
- Kings+ (streaming)
- DAZN (streaming)
Start time and venue for San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings
The complete schedule and location details for the matchup are confirmed as follows:
- Date: Friday, October 16, 2026
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET (20:00 America/New_York) / 19:00 local arena time (America/Chicago)
- Venue: Frost Bank Center, in San Antonio, Texas
- Competition: NBA — Preseason
How the San Antonio Spurs arrive
Head coach Mitch Johnson is in his second full year leading the San Antonio Spurs after guiding the franchise to the Western Conference title and the 2026 NBA Finals, where the team was defeated in five games by the New York Knicks. Throughout the current preseason, Johnson has utilized a starting lineup featuring three point guards—Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and a veteran playmaker—playing alongside shooting guard Devin Vassell and starting center Victor Wembanyama.
In the 123-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday (14), Victor Wembanyama recorded 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocks, while Stephon Castle scored 18 points. Looking ahead to the regular season workload, the starting point guard noted the importance of the final tune-up. “At some point in the preseason, I will want to play what my minutes will look like just to make sure you’re ready for it”, the point guard said.
On the injury report, the San Antonio Spurs have three confirmed absences. Veteran forward Tobias Harris is out with a left calf strain that has sidelined him for the entire preseason. Rookie power forward Jayden Quaintance remains out while recovering from knee surgery to repair anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injuries, and rookie forward Maliq Brown is unavailable due to back soreness.
How the Sacramento Kings arrive
The Sacramento Kings are led by head coach Doug Christie, who was retained in his role for the 2026-27 campaign. After resting eight rotation players against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday (13), Christie emphasized the need for caution with the roster. “We want to compete; we want to build chemistry. Health, soreness, workload, we have to manage those at the same time. It’s a delicate balance. We have to build chemistry, but at the same time, we have to be smart”, Christie stated.
The projected starting lineup for the Sacramento Kings includes point guard Ben Simmons, rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., shooting guard Zach LaVine, power forward Keegan Murray, and center Domantas Sabonis. However, final confirmation of who will take the court remains pending, as Simmons, Acuff Jr., LaVine, and Sabonis are all listed as questionable for the matchup.
In addition to the starters listed as questionable, players such as Precious Achiuwa (ankle) and De’Andre Hunter are also on the injury report as questionable or rested ahead of the regular season opener. The confirmed absences for the Sacramento Kings are centers Maxime Raynaud, who suffered a right knee patellar subluxation on Saturday (10) against the Golden State Warriors, and Dylan Cardwell, who has a calf injury; both players will be sidelined for at least two weeks.
Read also: San Antonio Spurs beat New York Knicks 115-111 away from home and take a breather in the NBA Finals
Officiating for San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings
The officiating crew for the game had not been announced by the time this report was completed, as the NBA publishes the official referee assignments on game day. Unlike soccer, the NBA does not use a yellow card accumulation rule or a VAR system, relying instead on the NBA Replay Center for video reviews and issuing suspensions only after a high number of technical or flagrant fouls during the regular season.
Head-to-head history and next games for San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings
In the last official game between the teams on March 17, 2026, when the San Antonio Spurs beat the Sacramento Kings 132-104 on the road, Keldon Johnson and Victor Wembanyama scored 18 points apiece for the visitors, while Maxime Raynaud recorded 32 points for the home side. Following Friday’s preseason finale, both teams turn their attention to the 2026-27 NBA regular season openers: the San Antonio Spurs debut at home on Tuesday (20) against the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the Sacramento Kings open their campaign on the road on Wednesday (21) against the Los Angeles Clippers.