As the San Antonio Spurs prepare for their regular season opener next Thursday, they’ll get one final tune-up on the road against the Houston Rockets.

Both teams will face each other twice more in the first three games of the regular season, so there will be little to no stakes Thursday evening, especially with a plethora of Spurs resting. That said, it will be a chance for San Antonio to evaluate some of its fringe players one last time.

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The Rockets are mostly healthy, save for Jock Landale, who Coach Ime Udoka said “took a couple of bangs” throughout training camp. That perhaps explains the large spread, as Houston is favored to win by nine points at home.

The Spurs are looking to bounce back from a road loss in Miami after giving up 21 turnovers while the Rockets are hoping to add a third straight win to carry them into the regular season.

That being said, here’s what you need to know ahead of the Spurs’ final preseason bout:

Houston Rockets

San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio’s biggest woe against the Heat came in the form of giveaways.

The Spurs turned the ball over 21 times in what ended up being a three-point decision, making is entirely feasible for them to have come away with a win. That’ll certainly be the mindset heading into the final preseason game of the season, as they’ll look to limit careless mistakes.

David Duke Jr., after missing every other contest of the preseason, is returning to the floor for one game before the regular season, while players like Riley Minix, Malachi Flynn and Brandon Boston Jr. will be vying for one final two-way spot to stick around for what they hope will be the season.

Watching those players go out one more time will be key for the Spurs as they begin to solidify their 18-man regular season roster, which once again makes the end result trivial.

Although, it’s always nice to end on a high note.

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